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Show A-8 The Park Record Business The Park Record. THAI IMMIGRANTS OPEN NEW RESTAURANT, A-12 www.parkrecord.com Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 23-26, 2019 A-8 SEASON COULD BE ONE FOR THE BOOKS, A-12 SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, FEBRUARY 23-26, 2019 Editor: Carolyn Webber Alder business@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.15718 Liquor law changes are a buzzkill for restaurants APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR SOLOMON FUND GRANTS Some lost patrons, others spent thousands in construction costs The Solomon Fund, an initiative of the Park City Community Foundation, is accepting grant applications from nonprofits, businesses and individuals. The fund is focused on addressing the low-income Latino community’s limited participation in athletics in Park City. It hopes to reach 20 percent Latino participation in programs currently being offered in Park City, and organizations that can help the fund achieve that goal are encouraged to apply for a grant. The deadline to apply is March 27, and grants are expected to be announced on April 29. For more information, and to apply, visit https://bit.ly/2U1XcmL. WYNDHAM VACATION RENTALS MOVES OFFICES Wyndham Vacation Rentals, which manages vacation rental properties, announced the relocation of its office. According to a press release, the offices are now located in the Reid Building at 750 Kearns Blvd. The main office assists guests and serves as a meeting place for owners and Realtors looking for more information about Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The company was previously located on Deer Valley Drive, next to the Christian Center of Park City. CHAMBER/BUREAU TO HOST LUNCH AND LEARN The Park City Chamber/Bureau is set to host a lunch and learn to help businesses learn about the tool ReferenceUSA, according to the Chamber/ Bureau’s website. The event is set to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Park City Library. ReferenceUSA provides business and consumer research by helping users locate companies nationwide, view historical market trends and find news articles. The tool is a new resource for Chamber/Bureau members. Lunch will be provided for Chamber/Bureau members who attend. For more information, visit https://www.visitparkcity.com/members/chamber-bureau-events/rsvp/. CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER The Park Record Tali Bruce was forced to make a difficult decision regarding her business last year. In her mind, there was only one way to go forward, and she knew she was about to lose numerous guests. Bruce is the owner of six franchise locations of the Bout Time Pub & Grub sports bar, including one in Kimball Junction. Because of a state law that went into effect in July eliminating dining club licenses, Bruce had to decide whether to classify her establishments as restaurants or 21-and-older bars. She felt she had no option but to give families the boot. She was one of several business owners forced to choose between what they believe were two imperfect options. The fallout cost many Park City restaurants hundreds of customers or thousands of dollars in renovation costs. Dining clubs, a designation several Park City restaurants held, were permitted to ride the fine line between a restaurant and a bar. Youths were welcome in the establishments as long as they were with adults, but certain restrictions regarding alcohol were lifted. Guests could order a second alcoholic drink without first ordering food and they could stand or walk while consuming alcohol, for example. In the wake of the new law, Bout Time was one of the Park City businesses that opted for a bar license. Bruce said no other option seemed feasible, mostly because of the state’s 70/30 rule for businesses with restaurant liquor licenses. The rule requires restaurants to maintain a ratio of food to alcohol gross sales of at least 70 percent to 30 percent. Bruce said she would have had to tell her seasoned guests to order food with their drinks if Bout Time became a licensed restaurant. Instead, she has to tell other guests to leave their kids at home. “It’s been painful,” she said. “We turn away a lot of guests and they are disappointed. They express their frustrations.” She said the change damages the reputation of Park City as a whole, and impacts the tourism business throughout the state. Ben Hoerst, general manager of Butcher’s Chop House on Main Street, also worries the changes might deter visitors in the future. Already, he said his guests complain about the new look and schedule of the restaurant. Butcher’s Chop House is no longer able to serve families after 10 p.m., a service that was frequently utilized by families arriving in Park City late after flying or driving to the destination. “It will have a lasting impact on us because it just changed the entire appearance of our restaurant,” he said. After the dining club designation was removed, Butcher’s Chop House was able to secure both a restaurant and bar license, but to become compliant with the law, the business had to install an 8-foot wall and clunky doors to separate the bar from the kids-friendly restaurant area. Hoerst said the fix was expensive and a hassle. The restaurant had to close for a few days in order to construct the wall. The changes were finalized in September. He said the restaurant, which is part of a larger restaurant group, was luckily able to shoulder the costs of the project. “I can’t imagine being a small business owner and having to go through these changes constantly and being in constant fear of what the state is going to change,” he said. “The state pulls the rug out from under them every two years or so.” Two years ago, the state decided to do away with the “Zion Curtain” law, which forced restaurants to put up partitions so patrons could not watch bartenders make alcoholic drinks. Many restaurants removed those barriers when the law changed. But now, if business owners want to hold both restaurant and bar licenses, they have to put up another wall that is at least eight feet high between the two areas. Max Doilney, owner of Corner Store CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER/PARK RECORD Ben Hoerst, general manager of Butcher’s Chop House on Main Street, stands in front of a glass and metal wall that was constructed to divide the bar from the restaurant area. The wall was constructed in September after a new state law required businesses to separate the two areas. Pub & Grill, said he had to secure loans to afford the $150,000 needed to renovate his restaurant. “That’s not something you make up in one day,” he said. He already had two separate rooms he could utilize as two distinct areas, but he moved the bar table from one room to another in order to have more space in the newly designated restaurant side. Then, he had to reorganize the kitchen to accommodate the swap. “This particular transition (was) the hardest thing I’ve ever done professionally, hands down,” he said. “And I pray to God I never have to do this much again. We hope we’ve set it up so that regardless of what law changes, we’ll be able to shake and jive and work with it.” He reopened the establishment in October. Please see Eateries, A-13 Good things come to those who don’t wait. Why wait when you can enjoy your own home in Park City Canyons Village finest ski-in/ski-out location this winter? These expansive two, three and four bedroom whole ownership homes are fully furnished and ready for you to move in now. Distinctively different, they provide all the comforts of home as well as the gracious services and amenities of an AAA Four Diamond resort hotel. These include a ski-valet, restaurant, lounge, spa, pool, fitness center, outdoor decks and terraces plus restaurant delivery to your home and private catering. Important note. To move in, you need to move now. Only 6 residences remain. Prices start at $879,000. Visit HyattCentricParkCityResidences.com. Please contact exclusive listing agents Tyler Richardson 435-640-3588 • tyler@parkcityis.com Peggy Marty 435-640-0794 • pmarty@parkcityis.com of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Utah Properties. BHHS Affiliates, LLC is an independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity. Information not verified or guaranteed. © 2018 Sunrise Holdings, LLC (“Developer”) is solely responsible for the marketing and sale of the units at Hyatt Centric Park City Residences. Hyatt Corporation has granted Developer the right to offer and sell the units using the Hyatt name and trademrks pursuant to a License Agreement. Neither Hyatt Corporation nor any of its affiliates is responsible for, or makes any representation or warranty concerning, the development, marketing, sale or operation of the units. |