Nobody toasts the bartender — the person who built your favorite drink menu, remembered how you take your whiskey, and worked a double on a Tuesday. And when the worst happens — a diagnosis, a sudden hospitalization, the body simply giving out — the industry that relies on an army of people showing up often has nothing left to offer in return. Rent doesn’t wait. Bills don’t care about sick days.
Often, for those who work in Utah’s service industry, nothing stands between a health issue and financial ruin.
Matthew Pfohl understands that gap firsthand. In 2014, the longtime Salt Lake hospitality figure – best known for building bar programs across the city, including the James Beard-nominated Water Witch – suffered a stroke. The recovery was long. The fear was real. And his lack of insurance was another harsh reality. That experience left him thinking about every line cook, dishwasher, and bartender who may face the same hardships without a safety net to fall back on.
That line of thinking became a mission. On April 15, 2019, Pfohl founded One Small Miracle, a nonprofit created to help hospitality workers weather health emergencies that can upend lives overnight.
Pfohl explains the meaning behind the name: “I had an outstanding medical bill that was forgiven. It really felt like a small miracle.”
BY THE INDUSTRY, FOR THE INDUSTRY
When a worker in the service industry faces a serious medical issue, the organization steps in to help with rent, groceries, and everyday expenses that don’t pause for an illness. Since its inception, the group has assisted more than 200 people across the industry.
Tylar Bonell is one of those recipients. Bonell was working at a local Beans & Brews when she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021 at the age of 22. One Small Miracle’s support, Bonell says, made a difference that went beyond dollars.
“I submitted the application after my boss, Tracy Gomez, who is also on the board, suggested it while I was in the hospital. I received an email from Matt a few hours later,” Bonell shares. “The entire process was so respectful. They gave me gift cards to Harmons to buy food and helped me pay my rent and utilities. It was life-changing for me.”
Stories like Bonell’s explain why so many in the local food and drink community have rallied around the organization through fundraisers, benefit nights, and the kind of word-of-mouth that travels fast in a tight-knit industry.
A NEW CHAPTER
In December 2025, One Small Miracle began its next chapter. The organization relaunched with a refreshed board of directors and an expanded mission, one that reaches beyond physical health to address the challenges that often go unspoken in restaurant and bar culture: mental health and addiction.
“We are super excited; we look at this second half of 2026 like the phoenix rising from the ashes,” Pfohl says. “We have been working hard behind the scenes and benefiting people the entire time.”
The hospitality world runs on long hours, late nights, and high pressure, and the toll on mental well-being has long been an open secret. By folding mental health and addiction resources into its work, One Small Miracle is meeting the industry where it actually lives.
Shoreline Psychology SLC is among five practices that lend their time and expertise to One Small Miracle. The providers accept insurance but also offer a sliding financial scale, reflecting the organization’s expanded focus and revealing just how necessary mental support has become.
“When I met Matt, I realized a lot of people in the hospitality industry could not access mental health services; oftentimes they do have insurance benefits,” says Dr. Amy Fehlberg. “The way we have set it up, we can get people in within a week or two for at least five sessions. That provides at least an option for immediate support. There is now a sense of comfort and relief within the community knowing that help is available.”
For Pfohl, the relaunch marks a fresh start. The hope is to “help more people more often” to ensure that no hospitality worker in Salt Lake City has to face a crisis alone, whether that crisis shows up in a hospital room or in a quieter, harder-to-name place.
“One of the reasons my board and I have never taken a paycheck to this point is because this is our service to those people, to say ‘we see you, we hear you, we know from experience what you are going through, and we appreciate you,” Pfohl says.
One Small Miracle has grown into a genuine support system. Sometimes a small miracle is exactly what it takes, and sometimes, it’s the start of many more.
To learn more about One Small Miracle, support its mission, or apply for assistance, visit onesmallmiracle.com.
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