Matt and KellyAnn Copes met in San Diego and have always been drawn to salt water. They left San Diego in exploration of more things wild: mountains to climb, waters to kayak, trails to run, perspectives to encounter.  Then they spent 3 years on the road, living out of their car and exploring North America’s public lands and communities, stumbling upon spaces, places, and people who inspired them and ultimately sharpened the pencil that created Salted Roots—a multifaceted boutique cabin style inn in Seward, Alaska. Seward won Matt and KellyAnn’s heart, with mountains, the ocean, and a national park right in our backyard. Alaska was wild - wild enough for them, vagabonds, to settle down roots... and then naturally the idea for Salted Roots sprouted. They bought land in Seward in 2017, were married there shortly after, and began throwing together future plans for the project with close friends. The community helped them clear the land, build on the site, and make their vision a reality.   

     Matt comes from 18+ years of high-end hospitality, which led to the natural next step: purchasing a downtown commercial building with a restaurant. With all sincerity, they absolutely believe that is no better reflection of a community than its bars and restaurants. Everything that happens in a community happens through the lens of its bars and restaurants. Guests celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and new jobs. They get to share in those experiences, and literally set the table – acting as a wingman, a concierge, an ace in the hole. If you ever want a good pulse on a town, find it in a conversation with a bartender. It’s an honest perspective and it cuts to the heart of what any town is. 

      KellyAnn currently serves as Seward’s Small Business Advisor for Alaska SBDC, using her and Matt’s own experiences starting up hospitality businesses in Seward to support other community members to dream, start, strategize, and execute their own small business goals. Her favorite quote is from Danny Meyer’s book, Setting the Table--“In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.”    

Connect with Matt and KellyAnn Copes via Salted Roots at stay@saltedrootsalaska.com or via The Flamingo at eat@flamingoalaska.com  

Connect with our host , Marta Cieslak, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-cieslak-mph-317a5611/, or on Instagram at @polipinoinvestor