Utah DABS Commission Meeting Report - June
The Utah Department of Alcohol Beverage Services Commission (DABS) held its monthly meeting Tuesday, June 28. The commission consists of the following members: Thomas Jacobsen (Chairman), Jacquelyn Orton, Stanley B. Parrish, Juliette Tennert, Tara Thue, Natalie Randall, and Jennifer Tarazon.
Parents Empowered
Doug Murakami (DABS’s Alcohol Education Director) provided an update on the “Parents Empowered” program in Utah, created to prevent underage drinking in Utah. According to Murakami, the trend in underage drinking in Utah was at its lowest level in 2021 and is continuing to go downward. However, there are still around 15,000 underage kids drinking alcohol in the state, so there’s “plenty of work to do” according to the Commission. The Chairman even stated we need to “get from low to even lower—ground zero.”
Violations
The Commission reviewed at total of 19 violations referred by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). All were approved with little or no discussion.
Sergio's Mexican Restaurant, Park City
Considerable time was devoted to Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant in Park City. A couple years ago the business changed owners and they failed to notify the department of the change in ownership. According to the Commission, businesses must notify the DABS within 60 days of changing ownership. According to the owner, they always renewed their liquor and business licenses on time, but they kept the liquor license under the previous owner’s name and didn’t notify of the DABS of this change, which is in violation of DABS regulations. Consequently, their license was revoked and they were instructed to reapply for their liquor license. In a stunning comment, Chairman Jacobsen went so far as to claim this business had “lied to the department.”
Extended Closure Requests
A few businesses requested extended closures due to construction delays. One of these businesses, Soundwell Bar in Salt Lake City, is doing extensive remodeling, including moving the restrooms downstairs and building a new bar structure. Originally, they thought this would only take about 3 months, but due to construction delays, it has been over a year now. During this time, the business has been running off of “singe-use” permits, which was a concern for some commission members, questioning the limit of these “single-use” permits. As it turns out the limit is 24, which this business hadn’t exceeded. In the end, the owner stated he’s hoping construction will be done by August and the extended closure was approved for this and two other businesses.
Religious Permit Applicant
St. Xenia Orthodox Christian Church in Payson had applied for a permit to use sacramental wine during ceremonies. This was approved.
Bar Establishment Applicants
A total of eight business were approved for a “Bar Establishment” license. One of these applicants, Shades Tap Room, was scolded by the Chairman who said he felt insulted by the owner for some comments said online about the Commission, stating any criticism should have been done in person. It’s not clear what these comments were, but the owner apologized profusely and was granted the license. There was also a concern expressed from one of the members about how nearly all the applicants are in the Salt Lake area.
Limited Service Restaurant Applicants
There were a total of 8 new limited service restaurant applications approved by the commission. One of these businesses, Seafood Bucket Cajun Style in Salt Lake City, has a history of violations, including selling to a minor and an unlocked storage container. This was of particular concern to the Chairman, but their application was still approved.
The agenda from this meeting can be viewed here.
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