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No new bars granted license – plus mini bottles return

A cocktail bar in downtown Salt Lake City

The headline news – at least according to out of state onlookers and column inches – is the return of mini bottles in the Beehive. Last seen on shelves here in the 1980s, a vote at the July DABS meetup saw their re-instatement approved. Ho hum huh. Miniature liquor bottles of 50ml and wine of 187ml will now be headed back our way. DABS staff could not confirm at this time what specific product would appear at stores.

Moving onto bar licenses, after June’s DABS barapalooza, July was a far more sedate affair. While three bar licenses are currently available in Utah, no applicant could demonstrate to the DABS an immediate capability to open. The current list of pending hopefuls is as follows:

  • Durango Bar, Salt Lake City
  • The Coop by Roosters, Layton, projected opening August
  • Verse, Salt Lake City, projected opening September
  • Edison House, Salt Lake City, projected opening September
  • Proper Brewing Moab Taphouse, Moab, projected opening September
  • Marquis, Park City, projected opening November
  • Bout Time Pub & Grub, Bluffdale, projected opening October
  • Aker Restaurant, Salt Lake City, projected opening December
  • Bout Time Pub & Grub, Saratoga Springs, projected opening February 2023

Going into the August meeting it looks likely that Durango Bar is a shoe in for at least one of them, pending some final clarity and documentation in their application. Another likely winner is The Coop in Layton. The 21+ only project from the team behind Roosters is headed up in the kitchen by former Alamexo and Zy chef Matt Lake. The restaurant is expected to seat 130 and is set to open somewhere between August 23td and 25th. Other notable licenses granted were as follows:

Full service restaurant licenses (liquor, beer, wine)

  • Mazatlan, Hurricane
  • Communal, Provo
  • Via 313, Riverton
  • Italian Graffiti, Salt Lake City
  • Marias Mexican Grill, South Jordan
  • Terraza 90 Caf , West Jordan

Limited service restaurant licenses (beer, wine)

  • Pretty Bird, Midvale
  • Asahi Sushi Bar & Restaurant
  • Rusty Crab Daddy, St George
  • Tamarind, Salt Lake City
  • Square Kitchen, Salt Lake City
  • Yumz Vegan Bakery, Salt Lake City
  • Querubin and The Taco Lady, Salt Lake City
  • Mozz, Salt Lake City
  • Deadpan Sandwich, Salt Lake City
  • 3 Cups, Salt Lake City
  • Red 88 Asian Bistro, South Jordan

A few other items to note. Ozora Izakaya in Sugar House were granted a further extended closure; the business noting that noisy neighbors had forced their doors shut. The business has now confirmed new tenants will take over the space – and it sounds as if Ozora will be looking for a new home.

Lastly, Scion Cider was granted a Type 5 package agency license. That means the bar will now be able to sell their on-site fermented ciders to go.

August DABS price report

Via email from Drink In Utah:

We got the August price book pretty early this month! A full week to go buy things before they go up in price–and unfortunately there are a lot of those items this month. Many national brands seeing increases: 1800, 360, Captain Morgan, and Smirnoff to name a few. Locally, Dented Brick increased prices of their craft spirits. Click here to see what has gone up/down in price, what’s new, and what’s discontinued.

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