This holiday season, the Salt Lake Chamber will showcase local small businesses weekly. These businesses are integral to our community, and we encourage you to join us in celebrating and shopping small this season! Discover this week’s featured business below:
Why should people support small businesses?
When people think of small businesses, they often envision local shops and services — and for good reason. These businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, run by familiar faces and neighbors. At Hale Centre Theatre, while our influence reaches far beyond our immediate community, we are proud to remain a local Utah business deeply invested in supporting and uplifting our community. Supporting businesses like ours not only helps us grow but also strengthens the well-being and vitality of the neighborhoods we call home.
In Utah, the arts play a vital role in the community, with an abundance of talented artists enriching the cultural landscape. Supporting the arts fosters creativity, provides opportunities for local talent and strengthens the bonds within our community.
What’s the biggest challenge that comes with being a small business?
The biggest challenge for us has been managing growth, which, while rewarding, requires careful attention. As we expand, scaling quickly and hiring the right people to support our success is essential. Throughout this process, maintaining our culture of kindness, respect and consideration remains a top priority. We strive to continue collaborating effectively, honoring each other’s creative ideas and contributions, and ensuring everyone feels valued as part of the team.
What’s the best opportunity that comes with being a small business?
One of the best opportunities small businesses have is the ability to pivot quickly in response to changing circumstances. Unlike larger companies, small businesses can adjust their strategies, products or services with speed and flexibility. This ability to react efficiently allows them to meet new customer demands, adapt to market changes and stay ahead of trends. Whether responding to shifts in the economy, customer feedback or unexpected challenges, small businesses are able to make decisions and implement changes faster.
What’s one thing you wish customers knew more about when it comes to running a small business?
Hale Centre Theatre operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. While we began as a for-profit company in 1985, we transitioned to a nonprofit model 12 years later to better support the growth and development of the theater. This change allows everyone who walks through our doors to feel a sense of ownership, knowing that the theater belongs to the state of Utah. While we are not a community theater in name, we pride ourselves on being the community theater here in Utah. We take immense pride in being a cultural hub for our neighbors and visitors alike.
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About Hale Centre Theatre
Founded in 1985, Hale Centre Theatre began as a collaboration with Mark Dietlein’s grandparents, Ruth and Nathan Hale. Originally planning to retire after moving to Utah, Ruth and Nathan decided instead to establish another theater similar to the one they founded in California. What started with just 25 paying customers quickly grew to attract hundreds for each performance.
In 2017, the theater moved to Sandy, Utah, to expand its facilities, now housing two state-of-the-art theaters, with a third set to open next year — coinciding with the theater’s 40th anniversary. Among its impressive venues is the renowned round theater, celebrated as one of the most technologically advanced live performance spaces in the world.
Hale Centre Theatre continues to honor its legacy of combining innovation with artistry, creating unforgettable experiences for audiences while contributing to Utah’s vibrant arts scene.
