South East Asian market to call it quits after 23 years

Plant-based Vietnamese salad with Impossible meatballs

Sad news the this week, as a staple of the city’s food scene announced their imminent closure. South East Asian Market (422 E 900 S) will be closing their doors after more than two decades in business – stop by to say goodbye this week, and avail yourself of their clear out fire sale too. … Read more

Utah bar licenses exhausted until the Summer after DABC meeting

Beer (freepik)

Well there you have it. Two months into the year and bar licenses are pretty much toast. Want to open a bar in Utah? Come back in May, because that’s when a single license will be up for grabs next. And after that, who knows… With various news outlets reporting on a state legislature unconvinced … Read more

Fifteen bars, one license, welcome to Utah

It sounds like the premise of a bad joke: fifteen bars walk into a… but no, this was the reality of January’s DABC meeting. One singular bar license, fifteen business jostling for position and five ready to go today. Welcome to Utah. To remind you then, the state currently has a complete dearth of available … Read more

Utah liquor license crisis set to worsen according to reports

Punch Bowl Social - beer and biscuits, no more

Get ready for a fraught 2022 folks. Following this months DABC meeting, Ben Winslow confirmed via this story that the Utah legislature seems unmoved by the perilous state of Utah’s liquor license inventory. Indeed, things might actually get worse yet still – if that’s even possible. As part of the FOX13 story, Winslow highlighted the … Read more

Mythical Utah bar license spotted in the wild, then gobbled up

DABC commissioners gathered this week to debate the outcome of an unexpectedly available bar license – which at this point are right up there with unicorns in terms of improbability. Commissioners didn’t elaborate on the reasons behind the freed license, but if memory serves, one license was being held back pending ongoing litigation – presumably … Read more

Restaurant liquor licenses starting to feel the pressure

Crack Shack sandwiches (Crack Shack)

Welcome back to our monthly roundup of all things perfectly potable. While ordinarily I’d start with a raised eyebrow and nod to the state’s bar license crunch (there are presently ZERO available) there’s truthfully not much to talk about. So instead lets start with another looming area of concern… Full service restaurant licenses (beer, wine, … Read more

Lack of bar licenses continues to dominate DABC meetups

Level Crossing Brewing Company - Utah Uncommon beer

As is increasingly common at DABC meetings, wrangles over Utah’s exceptionally limited inventory of bar licenses dominated proceedings during the August meetup. For those following along with this years main liquor story, a solitary bar license was punted over from July’s meeting; and on the docket for the August event – eleven different businesses hoping … Read more

The latest liquor news you don’t want to miss

Eight Settlers - bar and dining room (Eight Settlers)

In his first meeting taking the reigns from former chairman John T. Nielsen, commissioner Thomas Jacobson ran a briskly paced meeting that sped through the docket at an enjoyable pace. A few notable items that came up: The list of businesses requiring extended closures has slowly been whittled down to just a small handful. Publik … Read more

June liquor news, DABC winners and losers

A jumbo sized June DABC meeting topped the three hour mark with plenty of noteworthy action. During the first in person meetup in over a year, chairman John T. Nielsen (Feb 2013) and commissioner Bateman (dec 2014) said their farewells, stepping down from their roles after significant stints; the duo signing onto the roles in … Read more

Whats on sale at the liquor store this June, and other alcohol news

Epic Pakkā Hard Seltzer Company Releases Junipér

This is your monthly reminder that one of my favorite websites in Utah is back with their latest roundup of what we can all agree is critical reporting – what’s on sale at the liquor store this June. Drink In Utah report each and every month on the pricing and inventory changes at DABC stores, … Read more

Bountiful bar loses license after 18 years, other liquor news

Generic beer photo

An eighteen-year paperwork snafu led to the loss of Bountiful’s only bar at a busy DABC meeting this month. The bar in question, The Fifth, underwent a change in business name way back in 2001. Changing from the Fifth Inc to the Fifth LLC; the change went unnoticed for close to two decades. Sadly the … Read more

All the discounts you can grab at the liquor store this month

Dented Brick Distillery (DBD)

Check out the latest monthly DABC discount report from Drink In Utah; the website looks at all the discounts you can find on liquor store shelves, as well as items going up in price, new arrivals and products disappearing from stores. The website tries to call out local products worthy of attention with the a … Read more

Businesses push for liquor changes, new restaurants and closures

Gochu Jjamppong (Paik's Noodle)

Bars feeling the squeeze With current turbulence showing zero signs of abating, Utahs bars are experiencing some of the biggest disruptions to their businesses. I mean, hands up (carefully at six feet distance please) who’s been to a bar recently. No, me neither. A few options exist to recreate the bar experience from home right … Read more

Restaurants continue to open at speed, DABC axes inventory

Best Chicken And Ribs - chicken skewer plate

The re-opening continues If you’ve been checking the general news over the past week, you’ll have noted the unstoppable freight train that is the concerted effort to re-open. Buffets can now open with restriction while Millcreek eased patio dining rules recently. Restaurants have naturally been as keen as anyone to unlock their doors and cash … Read more

Latest from the DABC, restaurant closures, changes and other news

Nomad Eatery - chicken sandwich

DABC news The debate around Thai Archer’s limited service license application continued to rumble at the February DABC meeting. The commission has now formally concluded that the nearby Mc Kee Language School does meet the standard of a community location – this would ordinarily preclude a license for the business. A further meeting in March … Read more

DABC winners and losers, openings, closures and more

R&R BBQ - three meat plate

For our first It’s A Wrap of the year – a bumper edition – recapping both December and January’s odds and ends. First up, what went down at the last couple DABC meetups. At the December meeting Thai Archer in Salt Lake City was sadly denied a limited service restaurant license (beer and wine) due … Read more

Restaurant closures, DABC latest and all the food news highlights

Spitz - doner wrap with beast mode upgrade

DABC news In the absence of commissioner John T. Nielsen, vice-chairman Thomas Jacobson rattled through the November DABC get together at a brisk pace. As well as lots of newly minted restaurant licenses (see below), the commission confirmed that the state is currently out of bar licenses; moreover through 2020 only four more may be … Read more