A new bar has opened inside the former home of The Heavy Metal Shop in downtown Salt Lake City.
Earth and Stones, which opened last week at 63 E. Exchange Place, was started by Vanessa Notini and Erick Pernia, who is one of the founders of the Arempa’s restaurant franchise.
The couple describe the bar as “wabi-sabi,” which is a Japanese aesthetic and philosophy that focuses on the beauty in imperfection and the transient nature of life, according to author Beth Kempton.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Earth and Stones Cocktail Bar at 63 Exchange Place, on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
Pernia said they opened Earth and Stones because they wanted to provide a hangout spot removed from the bustle of downtown, where people could gather with friends and have a cocktail without being “overstimulated” by pounding music.
Notini described the vibe in the bar as “very cutesy and very comfortable,” with minimal decor and neutral colors.
A video that the couple posted to the bar’s Instagram shows several archways in the space, along with wicker light fixtures and low, cozy seating. They did the buildout themselves over a year, Pernia said, creating a space where they can “gather people and have some fun away from the food industry.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Earth and Stones Cocktail Bar at 63 Exchange Place, on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
Pernia said they have been working to “clean up” their stretch of Exchange Place, where he said there have been instances of drug use, fighting, vandalism and other misconduct. He said they have installed extra lighting, which has been a “huge help,” and stationed security guards in front of Earth and Stones as well as Arempa’s downtown location, down the block at 350 S. State St.
As for the mural on the west side of the building, which includes tributes to Joey and Angie Kirk, the deceased wife and son of Heavy Metal Shop owner Kevin Kirk, the couple plan to keep the artwork, Pernia said.
Earth and Stones is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.