One of the most prominent features at Helper General is the historic counter. It runs almost the entire length of the shop. Along the wall is a matching mirrored backsplash. People are surprised to learn that this counter wasn't part of the original building. It comes from the beloved Blue Plate Diner in Salt Lake City. When the Blue Plate closed and the building demolished, some Helper historic preservation fans brought the counter to Helper. The counter has been lovingly restored...

Hey, Helper General carries tea! Our favorite coffee supplier, Kitty Town, now sells tea. Kitty Town donates a portion of their sales to national cat rescue organizations. Like the Kitty Town coffee, each tea is named after a rescued cat. We have Wink's Breakfast Blend and Cinamon's Chai. We have also packaged some wonderful organic and elephant friendly tea from Davidson's Organics. The tea is grown on farms committed to preserving local elephants populations rather than simply...

A guy walks in Helper General and pauses at the counter.  His wife wanders along the shelves, happily shopping.  But he leans over the counter and whispers to me: “I’m wondering if you can confirm a rumor I heard." Pause.  "Someone broke into the police department last weekend and stole all the toilets.”  Pause.  “They don’t have anything to go on.”  I’m looking with some concern out the window at the police building, which is just up the street, when the guy starts wheezing, bobbing up and...