For parents planning a party or visitors arriving in Park City, Tyra Via and Brittany Frisch think the perfect welcome is more curated: a locally sourced gift basket, waiting on a rental property counter or in a hotel room, or perhaps an intimate event space transformed before guests even walk through the door.
Via and Frisch are the duo behind Hunni Hour (a play on “happy hour”), a Park City-based business specializing in custom design and luxury gifting. The company aims to bridge the gap between logistical planning and high-end hospitality, serving a wide range of clients from real estate agents looking to thank clients with a curated gift to bachelorette parties seeking a stress-free weekend without sacrificing the fun details.
Via, from Vermont, was an aerial skier on the U.S. National Team. That path eventually brought her to Park City in 2016, where she said she fell in love with the mountains and the community. These experiences influenced her vision for Hunni Hour and her passion for creating memorable, thoughtfully designed gatherings, she said.
Frisch is a familiar face in the local business community as the owner of Elements Massage. She grew up in Massachusetts and spent much of her life traveling to Park City with her family. Frisch made Park City home in 2012.
With Hunni Hour, she and Via are tapping into Park City’s tourism and second-home economy.
Their service model is designed for convenience and personalization. For Airbnb renters or homeowners arriving for the season, Hunni Hour serves as a concierge, arranging welcome packages so guests can begin their vacation immediately, including a planned celebration.
“When people come to town for a special event or celebration, their custom setup is waiting for them when they get there,” Via said. “We work very collaboratively, with hotel concierges as well. They use us as a resource when someone is coming into town for a bachelorette party, for example. We then handle all the niche details.”
While they cater to visitors, the business emphasizes sourcing products and foods from Park City and Utah vendors whenever possible. This allows visitors to sample the local flavor without having to hunt down specific boutiques or markets themselves.
The business also handles small brand pop-ups, helping companies create physical touchpoints in the area. For parents planning parties or groups organizing celebrations, Via and Frisch manage the aesthetics and details that often cause stress for hosts.
“As a business owner in town for six years now, organically I have met other local business owners and also have three young children, so when it comes to events or specialty cakes, we are always using local businesses,” Frisch said.
“We started organically, as Brittany’s kids had birthdays and events, we enjoyed working together and planning, and once we started, we had friends asking us to do the same for them,” Via said. “We noticed there was a huge gap. There are big-scale event planners, but there wasn’t anything that was for smaller, intimate celebrations.”
For more information, visit hunnihour.com or follow them on social media at @hunni.hour.