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Show " Page Friday, UUrcfi S. 1997 SJm Uqooir cam make ragMofe oMeiresftoinig dance clubs finding success in Salt lake Non-alcohol- ic Br Loreen Ericsson Chronicle staff writer Janet Jackson's Control blares across the club while multi-colorlights spin around the crowded dance floor. ed A stud checks out the 23-year-- old women, looking for the perfect body and the perfect face. A blonde beauty is standing in a corner, apart from the crowd. She looks young, the stud thinks. I'd be robbing the cradle. Still. . . she is alone. The stud struts over to the blonde beauty. "Uh, mm, wanna dance?" the suave stud dazzles the innocent-lookin- g blond. "Who me?" is her brilliant, but hesitant reply. "Of course," he answers, confidence overflowing. "Yes. . . I mean, no I can't dance with you," she stutters. The stud's chest instantaneously deflates. He is no longer smiling. "What I mean is," the flighty beauty explains, "I can't because I'm already here with someone, a date. Owners and operators of The Bay, Trace Sweeten and Rob Blackhurst, "Honey, give me another minute to study!1 Utah liquor laws send drinkers on refute the myths about dancing clubs that this episode portray. "Ninety-fiv- e percent of our crowd comes single, without dates," Sweeten said. "It is a very mixed college-age- d non-alcoho- run-arou- nd By Dee L. Naquin Chronicle city editor fUEEIni Many people who check out the nightlife in Utah know the state's liquor laws are somewhat unusual. Laws do not prohibit the consumption of alcohol, but they do complicate the process. Going out on the town requires some planning. "Probably five other states control liquor like Utah does," said Allen Witt of the Utah Foundation. In most states, liquor is sold in private enterprise. In Utah, operators must purchase liquor from the state at the state's price, and resell it to patrons at state-determin- ed That control a price. with irony. When in Utah, it's a mixed drink do people get usually made with a mini bottle and is almost twice as strong as those in states with liquor by the drink. The minis contain 1.7 ounces, compared to one ounce dispensed through a metered pour device. The size of the drink is just one factor in the "funny" Utah liquor laws, is laced however. In most restaurants or clubs licensed to sell mixed drinks, obtaining them requires several steps. First, one orders and pays for It is then necessary to purchase minis at the mini bottle store, usually the set-up- s. located near the host's station. The host's station may not be too inconveniently located, perhaps a few tables away. In some places, it may be upstairs, down the hall or in another building. Servers are not allowed to bring alcohol to the table, thus necessitating extra effort by the customer. This is one custom business people would like changed, and they & lic crowd. Those who think only conservative Mormons and teenie boppcrs come to our club are stereotyping and missing out on a nice alternative to private clubs. "Much of our crowd comes from people who like to drink, but who happen to be under 21 and aren't old enough to drink," Sweeten continued. "Legal-age- d drinkers come as well because they appreciate a dance club that's not filled with cigarette smoke." "In fact, we get our greatest compliand tourists ments from from back East," JJlackhurst said. ".They are surprised to find a successful club which doesn't serve booze." For University of Utah students, the two biggest dancing clubs are The Bay, located in Sugarhouse, and Xenon just down the street at 909 E. 2100 South. Prices are comparable and both have college hot night every Friday for $3. Both clubs have two dance floors. One room plays contemporary dance hits and the other floor plays modern, new wave music. The Bay also has an outside patio which they open up in nice weather. Both provide activites other than dancing music and comedy videos, socializing spots on couches, tables or at the bar and numerous promotion such as and even a pizza, movie tickets, double-casset- te recording system. SEMEMES out-of-town- supported a bill that would have allowed servers to bring minis to the table. However, the bill did not gain enough support to move out of the committee phase during the recent legislative session. The practice of "brown bagging" alcohol is confusing to many. This is practiced because the state issues only one liquor license for every 9,000 people in the state. Brown-bagge- non-alcoho- liquor is allowed in d restaurants. Brown-bagge- d liquor is not allowed in private clubs, where members and their guests are allowed to buy drinks. Beer bars, on the other hand, do allow d liquor. Of course, when patrons bring their own alcohol into a restaurant, no one monitors how much they drink. That's another paradox in Utah liquor control laws. No one expects any major changes soon, as evidenced by the bill's rejection. Other modifications of the Utah laws, recommended in October, 1986, by the Govebrown-bagge- lic give-awa- T-shi- ys rts More importantly, both are also concerned with the labels and stereotyping their clubs have received. "People need to give us half a chance," Sweeten said. "Come a few of times before you judge and say, 'It's not for me. rnor's Commission on Drinking and Driving, were not even considered by the Legislature. seven continued on page It's not fun.' The more you come the more you'll like it. "You'll also see and get to know some of our regulars," the same people Blackhurst added. The dancing clubs are a fun. have to great way "Name me a private club that can New provide 1,500 adults a high-enerYear's Eve party without drunks falling all over the place," Blackhurst said. non-alcoho- lic gy "Xenon is designed after European discotheques," owner Rebecca Valentini said. "In Europe, where all kinds of liquor is available at clubs, we found that 80-9- 0 percent of the customers ordered soft drinks. They didn't need alcohol. We brought that same idea here to the Salt Lake market five years ago and it's worked. Serving alcohol isn't necessary. Dancing provides its own high." Security is also very tight. "We are very strict at the door. Customers have to be at least 18," Sweeten said. "If a certain group or individual causes trouble, they are asked to leave and told not to come back. We keep their names on a list at the door. "A girl can come to The Bay alone, park her car and never have a worry. We have two security officers who patrol inside and outside," Sweeten continued. "If the women feel unsafe, our whole purpose is shot." Floor space, decor, sound and lights are other aspects of the clubs that people seem to ignore. The Bay is the largest dance club in Utah. Despite their crowds, the dance floor isn't packed Their continued on page eight wall-to-wa- ll. Being 21 doesn't always guarantee a seat at the bar By Amy Page Chronicle assistant news editor You're 21 -- years-old and living in Salt Lake City. Depending on your recreational habits, that could mean everything or absolutely nothing. If going to private clubs falls under your social agenda, 21 means being able to become a member of clubs without having to worry about being too young. Unless, of course, you want to go to Club Santa Fe or Studebaker's. Open since last fall, both clubs set their age limit higher than the usual, and legal, 21 . Club Santa Fe has a age limit for members, while members and guests must be 23 to get into Studebaker's. Steve Rice, general manager of Studebaker's, located at 400 S. 2nd East, said there are several reasons for their higher age limit. First of all, a high percentage of drunken driving accidents and violations involve old people under 23. "We're after the more seasoned alcoholic consumer, he said. Under the direction of Allen Hospitality, the company who also manages Mulboon's and The Utah Seafood Company, Studebaker's refuses to serve intoxicated people, offering free taxi service and complimentary coffee or Cokes instead. Rice said Studebaker's also accompanies their 5 to 8 I W !?! '.. !' !'( .' .' J M .. M ' """" m p.m. Happy Hour with complimentary food to assure customers won't drink too much on an empty stomach. "We see it (Studebaker's) as a positive part of the community, not a beer chugging place," he said. Studebaker's does relax its age limit to 21 during lunch when people are not in partying, he said. Cost of membership is $30 a year, $5 for a memspouse card, and $5 for a bership. Like Studebaker's, Club Santa Fe, located up Emigration Canyon next to Chronicle photos by Boone Xayyo Ruth's Diner, opted for a higher age limit. Mary Patterson, bookkeeper for Emigration Management, the parent company of Ruth's, Club Santa Fe and Santa Fe Restaurant, said they really want a clientele in their 30s. Qub manager Mike Ray, who has a lot of experience in the club business, wanted an older crowd because they are more pleasant and quiet, Patterson said. Younger people don't hold their liquor as well, get rowdy or mean if they're asked to leave, she said. is $25 for a a with card included, and $5 for year, spouse a membership. A spokesman from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said age limits were never higher than 21 until both clubs opened last fall. As long as a club doesn't go below the 21 age limit, it can regulate its own limit. could Although it is legal, a 21 ear-old and limit probably win, challenge the age the spokesman said. Qub Santa Fe membership -y- |