If you’ve seen the signs changing across a number of local brewpubs, you might have caught yourself wondering exactly what was happening. Before I dig into that, let’s quickly recap the story so far of the Squatters and Wasatch brewpub lineup here in Utah.
It’s been three years now since Monster Energy Drinks guzzled down CANarchy – the collective brewing company that both Squatters and Wasatch breweries called home. Thankfully for fans of the Utah brewpub scene, it didn’t take long for local clarity on the deal to emerge.
Just two months after the $330 million transaction, a newly minted Salt Lake Brewing Company confirmed they’d sealed the deal to ensure the continuity of all the popular Utah brewpub locations. Formed in part by Squatters original founders – Peter Cole and Jeff Polychronis – SLBC’s re-acquisition had a certain romantic elegance to it, effectively bringing the team full circle, back to their 1989 roots. Indeed, several months later, former brewmasters Jason Stock and Nils Imboden returned to the fold, taking over the barrels at the downtown and Park City locations, respectively.
As the year ends, one more update is currently propagating across the business’s eight locations – a rebrand under a unified “Squatters Pubs” brand. The update should have already completed online, with just a few more licks of paint and sign change-outs finishing up around the valley.
Marketing manager Rick Seven summed it up, telling me, “The change hopefully clarifies the confusion we’ve seen following the complicated transition of the past few years. All our locations will now operate under the instantly recognizable Squatters Pubs name. All locally owned, all offering the same great pub menu we’re known for.” On the suds front, expect in-house creations from both Stock (Salt Lake Brewing Co) and Imboden (Top Of Main) alongside select popular brews from the Squatters/Wasatch portfolio.
In 2026, Squatters Pubs will continue down that path of simplification, paring down the menu with a focus on quality guided by their ‘socially responsible suppliers’ policy. Remember, Squatters is one of the few pubs that don’t reach from freezer to fryer – creating as much as they can in-house – sourcing plenty from other Utah suppliers. Names like Beehive Cheese, Daily’s Premium Meats, Lehi Mills, Rocky Mountain Eggs, Salt City Baking Company, and more cram the menu.
And before you worry, the fish and chips are back, and I’m told, it’s here to stay. Cheers!
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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.
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