Sponsored content – what does that mean

If you’re reading this page, you might be wondering what the heck sponsored content means. First and foremost it’s one of the key ways we keep the lights on, and pay our writers. In March 2024 we dropped intrusive third-party ads from our main articles. The fact you’re reading this right now sans fluttering ads across your browser – is due to the sponsor partners that choose to advertise their brands with us.

Like everyone else we have bills. Running Gastronomic SLC is no small thing, and the costs are substantial. The cost to operate our mailing list system alone amounts to around $3,000 per year and continues to grow. That’s before we dig into the actual cost of dining out. I’ll spare you the huge laundry list of expenses required to make things tick, but suffice it to say it’s a non-trivial amount. With that in mind, we make money using the following approaches.

Sponsored content

These are one-off articles. Businesses pay us a one-time fee to communicate a particular story to our readers These stories might showcase the opening of a new business or a menu update for example. Businesses are welcome to contribute to the story but they are ultimately written and edited by our team. They also represent a way for a business to guarantee a slot in our publishing schedule, one that can be booked out for weeks and months ahead.

If a particular sentiment is expressed, “This dish is really good!”, it’s because that’s the genuine thought of the writer when exploring the story. Businesses can’t pay us to tell you they’re the next best thing since sliced bread. Some might ask how can that be true, how can we remain impartial when being paid? It’s very simple. We’ve been doing this for nearly twenty years, no single sponsored story makes or breaks the finances. The model makes a financial impact in aggregate over a year-long release schedule – not one story. To be clear, in writing a sponsored story – we’re not reviewing a business, we’re just telling a story, and yes, if we find particularly compelling flavors or flair – we will tell you about that. Why wouldn’t we?

Core partners

This is an invite-only option, available only to businesses we love. We are very selective in approaching businesses to join our core partner list, and as such, we fully endorse the business in their particular niche. Core partners might be included in some of our listicles, their ads rotate across the website, and their news is included in our output. If you Google any of our core partners, you should see a business with solid, four-star and above reviews. Again, these are businesses we think are great at what they do.

News partners

This option is more widely open to a greater variety of businesses. When our news partners send us updates, we will integrate that into our ongoing output rounding up local news. That might mean a new menu rollout, a new restaurant opening, or a chef change.

Patreon subscribers

If you’re a reader of the site and want to throw a few dollars into the hat – you can do so via Patreon here. The most affordable option is $5 per month. Patreon handles the card processing securely (we never see your card details) and you can cancel through Patreon at any time.

Google Ads

Our main stories are ad-free, but some of the ancillary pages on the site might feature auto-generate ads, inserted by Google.

Affiliate links

Finally, a few stories might include links to third-party websites to make a purchase. These are often modest, sub 5% referral fees. Affiliate links are always marked as such.

Surely you get all your food for free?

No. We are offered quite a lot of freebies, that’s par for the course for anyone involved in the local food scene; writers, radio and tv hosts, and social media influencers. For the most part, we turn down freebies. We do accept them from time to time when we believe there might be a particularly notable story we want to tell.

Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.