June’s Utah DABS meeting sees eight new bars receive the green light

Bar licenses

The last of this year’s liquor law legislation changes came rolling into effect at this month’s DABS meeting. With population quota calculations now adjusted for bar licenses, fifteen licenses were available for issuance. In fact two more were added as cherries on top – resulting from the result of forfeiture of existing licensees. The following eight bars all received a license:

• Manor F&B, Coalville
• Riverhorse on Main, Park City
• Melancholy, Salt Lake City, July (pictured top)
• The Break Sports Grill Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Springs, July
• PV Jalisco, Cedar City, July
• Sunday School, Salt Lake City, August
• Atma Prema, Cottonwood Heights, September
• Dendric Estate, Marion, June 2025

The dates listed next to each, are an indicator of when they expect to open their doors to the public. The last name on the list raised eyebrows amongst many commissioners, who expressed discomfort in issuing a license that might not be used for a full year. Indeed state law affords newly issued licenses 18 months to open their doors, with a further six on appeal. At any rate, their hands were legally bound, with recent legislative updates mandating qualifying applicants *must* be given their license. Commissioners no longer have any say in this matter.

This means the state now has eight bar licenses remaining in the inventory – and they need to last until this time next year. Ho hum. I’ve said it before, but here it is one more time – planning to open a bar in Utah? Get your valid license application in today, otherwise, you might find yourself in for a very, very long wait.

Full-service restaurant license (beer, wine, liquor)

Twenty-three licenses of this type were available to hand out this month, the following six all getting the nod:

• Curry Connect, Sandy
• DC Pub and Grill, Cedar City
• Windy’s Sukiyaki, South Ogden
• Alpinist DVC, Park City
• Destination Cafe, Escalante
• Smoke Wagon Saloon, Kanab

Limited-service restaurant licenses (beer, wine)

Six more businesses received their limited license as follows too:

• My Pie Pizza, Holladay
• Sukiya Sushi and Japanese Buffet, Midvale
• Como En Casa, Taylorsville
• Ginza Japanese Shabu Shabu, Logan
• Flower Child, Salt Lake City
• Delipan is Brewing, Provo

Other items

Beer-only restaurant licenses were handed out to Senor Pollo Mexican Grill (West Valley City) and Don Betos Mexican Food (Kanab) while Ogden Beer Company (Ogden) and Roosters 25th Street Brewing Company (Ogden) received Type 5 package agency licenses; this means they can now retail direct to the public 365 days a year including holidays and weekends.

Lastly, it looks like Sugar House Station is the new name for the former Kimi’s in the heart of Sugar House. The business was granted a license transfer of ownership. It looks like the business will be the next outing for Scott Evans.

Other useful links

• Free newsletter – signup and receive our weekly newsletter for free
• Food talk group – chew the fat with other like-minded Utah foodies over on Facebook.
• Best of SLC 2024 – what you can’t miss in the Beehive right now.

Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.