The Neelemans built their store as a local grocery, a love note to rural Utah.
Instead, it turned a quiet town into a place people drive hours to reach. Their huge following did the rest.
The Store
The Ballerina Farm Store sits just off Midway's Main Street. It is built to feel like a rustic European grocer and cafe.
The shelves hold fresh sourdough, handmade cheese, and the farm's own flour. There is also protein powder and a long list of pantry goods.
Bread and pastries are baked fresh in-house each day. Many of the meals use food grown right on the farm.
Some of those goods come from far away. The relish is from a cooking school in Ireland, the sea salt from France, and the pasta from Italy.
The dairy is a story on its own. It makes about 1,000 gallons of milk a day, the first new dairy in Utah in 40 years.
Robots help milk the cows now. But the butter is still churned with a simple KitchenAid mixer.
The couple founded the farm in nearby Kamas back in 2017. They opened a small farm stand there first, then the Midway store in 2025.
Some goods still stay close to home. The goat milk soap is made by a woman who lives near the Weber River.
We break down the businesses and trends actually worth your attention in Market Briefs every morning - and joining comes with a free investing masterclass.
The Influence Engine
This is what 10 million followers can do. A big enough crowd works like a highway exit.
You build a store at the end of it, and the cars show up. You do not even need to run an ad.
For a small town, that kind of attention acts like a new road. One brand can shift where people go, where they spend, and which shops grow.
Hotels, cafes, and gas stations all feel it. A single store can lift a whole town's economy.
Why The Neelemans Didn't Plan It
The owners say that was never the goal. They wanted a food-first market, not a gift shop.
Their first job, they say, is serving the people who live in Midway. But fame had other plans.
The same following that built the brand now sends a steady stream of visitors. They pour into a town better known for its Swiss-style chalets than its crowds.
Many come to snap a photo and buy bread. Then they spend the rest of the day in town.
Worth Noting
This is the creator economy in plain sight, where online fans turn into real business. Attention became an engine strong enough to reshape a town.
Nobody set out to build a tourist stop. One showed up anyway.
It is a sign of where the creator economy is heading. Reach can turn into real money in places no one planned.
Want more reads like this every morning? Sign up for Market Briefs and you'll get a 45-minute investing course free when you join.
