As a 22-year-old Midwesterner new in town, “I found a stray dog in Bear’s Ear, skinny and malnourished,” says Emily Burney of Auntie Em’s bakery on Kearns. “I didn’t have a home and could barely care for myself, but I had no problem hitching myself to a feral dog. With a little love and food, she plumped up.” Emily and Blondie (“named her myself,” she says) went on to enjoy many memorable times.
The story fits Emily‘s style. “I’ve always loved making food for others - and eating,” she laughs from her cozy bakery, her first permanent business home after a decade of B2B networking and shared kitchens. “I was always rushing out of.” Looking around, she says, “I want to spend time here even after the workday ends.”
A native Chicagoan, Emily grew up skiing in Wisconsin and Colorado. When powder days were not filling her childhood imagination, powdered sugar recipes were. “Owning a bakery is a childhood dream,” she says. “I was determined from very early on.” Though now a familiar figure in PC, Emily recalls not being so sure about Utah as a young skier. “But after my dad convinced us to take a vacation trip here, we were converts.”
Today, Emily’s spare moments are for the backcountry skiing she loves, her husband, her dog, and “good mountain people,” she says. “I’m also a fanatic for the NYT crossword puzzle, and yes, I am a legitimate Auntie Em! Four Three nephews and a niece.”
Like many Chamber partners, Emily’s love for expanding the Park City vibe is part of her daily life. “The world can be a hard place,” she reflects. “I believe our sweet treats spread joy. If we can lift up the people around us just a little, maybe we can create greater change.”
