Two Utah bars failed to meet Monday’s license renewal deadline — giving up an elusive state commodity and the ability to serve alcohol.
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said Punch Bowl Social, which closed its only Utah location at The Gateway several months ago, contacted the agency and relinquished its bar license.
While The State Room, a downtown music venue, made no contact with the agency, so it forfeited its license, said DABC spokesman Terry Wood.
The bar licenses — which are in high demand — will now be made available to other business owners wishing to open 21 and older clubs. There currently are nine businesses on the waitlist.
Last week, 59 Utah bars had not yet renewed their state liquor licenses and DABC officials were unsure how many of the owners who took the extension were procrastinating and how many simply couldn’t afford to renew.
Owners had until Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. to pony up the $2,000 annual fee or risk losing the sought-after permit.
The usual renewal date for Utah bars is May 31. However, since many establishments were unable to open during the coronavirus shutdown, the Legislature tweaked state law and granted the bar owners a three-month extension.
Of the 310 bars in Utah, more than 100 took advantage of the deferral.
The Legislature approved a similar extension for all restaurants, hotels, reception centers and banquet facilities, which normally must renew liquor licenses by Sept. 30. Under HB6006, those businesses now have until Dec. 21 to pay the DABC.
Business owners that want a bar license from the state must apply with the DABC and then wait until one becomes available through an increase in population — state law allows one bar for every 10,200 people.
The Legislature could lower the quota and make more bar licenses available. However, Rep. Timothy Hawkes, the Centerville Republican who sponsors most of Utah’s liquor legislation, said on the Utah Booze News podcast that is not likely to happen in the near future.
A license could become available before then — if another bar shuts down and relinquishes its license. Businesses can also buy bar licenses from other owners. Because the permits are in short supply, they have sold for as much as $50,000 in recent months.
Two years ago, the state had a similar shortage, with some business owners waiting more than a year to get a bar license. The waiting list dwindled in 2018, after the Legislature tweaked liquor laws. That initially alleviated the bar license shortage.
But it was only a temporary fix. The list has grown again. And chances of getting a bar license are slim. Only two permits are expected to become available through population increases during the last quarter of 2020.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/3lJ6ylV
September 01, 2020 at 07:43AM
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