From Deseret News archives:
Elvis' move takes shine from Salt Lake City
That's why Salt Lake City's footwear appears to be a little duller these days.
Elvis has moved. Who would have thought?
In downtown Salt Lake City, there are things you can count on: Lamb's grill, the Zions bank clock, panhandlers on Main, the Lion House and Elvis at Nordstrom.
For 25 years, five days a week, from 9 to 6, Elvis Mendez manned the shoeshine booth in Nordstrom, performing his artistry on Salt Lake City's shoes.
Then earlier this year, Nordstrom closed at Crossroads Mall to make way for the wrecking ball. Elvis packed up his booth and his cans of polish and his brushes and went two blocks down the street to the Marriott, which offered him a job. The only thing he didn't take with him was his customers. The move happened so fast that most of them don't know his new address.
His customers have fallen from 20 to 30 a day to seven or eight. He spends most of the day staring at CNN on a TV across the lobby.
Where is Imelda Marcos when you need her?
"I hope my customers can find me again," he said as he stared at CNN.
Elvis is the Cal Ripken Jr. of the shoeshine world. He's shown up at the booth for a quarter century, polishing an average of about 6,500 pairs of shoes a year. He always inspired a certain loyalty. A businessman would stop by for a shine, and then next week he'd return with a friend. There were usually two shoe shiners at the booth, but often customers would say, "I'll wait for Elvis."
"I'll take shoes to Elvis, and they'll look better than when I bought them," says Charlie Evans, a political consultant and lobbyist. "I've taken brand-new shoes I've never worn, and he made them look better. He's an absolute artist."
Billionaire Jon Huntsman Sr. used to drop off a sack filled with shoes and leave them for Elvis before his wife took over the chore. Elvis has shined shoes that were being worn by Phil Jackson, Karl and Kay Malone, Chuck Daley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilford Brimley, pollster Dan Jones, plus state politicians and CEOs and LDS Church officials.
Comments
- Checkpoint nets 7 DUI arrests 9:34 p.m.
- Beebe disappointed by MWC methods 9:31 p.m.
- Utah Jazz: Wolves get past Jazz 9:30 p.m.
- SUU rally falls short on road 9:25 p.m.
- Utes stop Idaho State 9:13 p.m.
- Brazilian Bomber sets 3-point mark 9:00 p.m.
- NFL Football: Path 2 perfection? 8:58 p.m.
- NFL today 8:56 p.m.
- Guinea militia fuels fears of civil war 8:56 p.m.
- Man accused of child sex abuse 8:48 p.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
303 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
245 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
189 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
188 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
182 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
128 - Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
118 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
102
Trolley Square's annual Holiday Open House will feature visits with...
That does it — I'm having an affair! Thanks to Tiger Woods, David...
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
If Nebraska can make a good drive here and put some points on the board, TCU...
Deron wanted to be leader this year but Boozer has played that card away from...
I agree Mailman. I thought Derons comments were kind of interesting. "I mean...
Why would anyone want to watch a a group of selfish players? The Aggies tore...
School's should dismantle the "vocational-based" curriculum and dispose it...
It is so nice to have a place of beauty in which to worship - however, this...
"... I believe VERY strongly that the merchants in America only care about...
Oh I'm sure if Saral Palin was in on this "cut n run" from the Elderly, and...
If you spit on my wife and mother and poured beer on them while calling them...



You can be the first to comment on this story.