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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 23-26, 2019 Continued from A-12 Economic update there are still about six weeks left of the season. Last year, the season finished with a total of 200 inches. “It’s been a good season, a good forecast for February and March,” Malone said after the luncheon. “Boy, what 275 inches of snow will do for you.” He said there is a chance Park City could break the two million mark for skier days this year. The previous record is 1,937,807 skier days in the 2015-16 ski season. But, Malone also recognized some of the challenges Park City businesses face. Since 2013, jobs have increased by 14.8 percent, but the population of Summit County has increased by only 8.4 percent. That is one factor, Malone said, that has made it difficult for businesses in town to find em- d dContinued from A-8 Eateries change s h a . t Doilney said he is frustrated r by the changing laws. He wor. ries the money and time he put into the renovations could be in f vain if the law changes during a s future legislative session. Kim Hardle, general manager a of Red Rock Junction in Kimball Junction, shares Doilney’s e frustration with the shifting laws. She said the restaurant p had to make changes because of the former Zion Curtain law, d and then again when the law changed. Now, because of a different regulation preventing mif nors from sitting within 10 feet s of a bar — a so-called “Zion Moat” — that was put into ef- A-13 The Park Record ployees. And job growth in Park City and Utah is only expected to continue. Basu, chairman and CEO of the economic and policy consulting firm Sage Policy Group, Inc., spoke about the pluses and minuses of job growth during his presentation. He said Utah and the country overall have seen strong economic growth in recent years and watched unemployment rates drop. Utah’s exploding economy and employment growth is partly because of the quality of life in the state, which attracts young workers, Basu said. Ryan Best, vice president of marketing for Black Rock Mountain Resort, said after the luncheon that he was interested to hear how the economy is doing in Utah, as well as the factors behind it. “People want to live here. I like that, because it gives us long-term success. Our growth is more on a stable foundation,” he said. Although Utah’s economy is thriving, Basu said there are some concerns about nationwide low unemployment. There are currently more than seven million available jobs but fewer than seven million unemployed individuals, which Basu said is concerning. He said if unemployment continues to drop, it could trigger inflationary prices and high interest costs, leading consumers and businesses to pull back on investments. With that in mind, he said a recession is possible in the next few years, and the global economy has already started to slow. He said he anticipates 2019 will be a decent year, but not as good as 2018. Malone said after the event that some businesses have been talking about a possible downturn. He said some Chamber/ Bureau members have asked him if they should be preparing for one. “A lot of people feel like we are in the 10th or 11th inning,” he said. “2019 may not start out as a challenging year, but it will probably finish as a challenging year.” Although Basu joked during the presentation that Park City seems to worry more about the weather forecast than the economic forecast, business owners did seem to perk their ears up during Basu’s presentation. They are eager to finish out the season, and to see what the rest of the year will bring. fect in 2017, Hardle said she has limited seating for families and minors. Red Rock Junction was able to maintain both its restaurant and bar licenses without doing too many structural changes, though. The main area is now designated as a restaurant and the rear banquet room, which was previously used for large parties and events, is a bar. Prior to the change, minors were often included in events held in the back room. Hardle said the change has affected the restaurant’s sales. “We have seen a dramatic decrease in business in our back room because we cannot accommodate minors,” she said. Most guests stick to the main room now because the bar area is secluded and accessible via a narrow hallway. Hardle now finds herself patrolling guests to make sure they aren’t standing or walking with a drink in hand. “My least favorite part is having to treat my adult guests like children when I have explain to them that they must order a side of fries to get a second drink, that they cannot stand up and give a birthday toast because it is illegal and (I have to) carry their beers three feet to the next table for them because of an inane law,” she said. “I find treating guests this way painfully inhospitable.” She is not happy with the change and, like many restaurant owners, she wonders why the dining club license was taken away. Several Park City businesses, including Doilney and Bruce, lobbied against the legislation and invited lawmakers to visit their establishments. Doilney was sure the bill would not go through, but then the majority of the legislators he thought he persuaded voted yes. He said it has been an adjustment over the last few months as he, his employees and his guests get used to the shift. “Everybody had to change. We all had to spend money,” he said. “They took away a license that actually held value to us.” Get your subscription to The Park Record! Mail or Home delivery within Summit County (Includes a free Sunday Tribune and e-Edition subscription) 1 Year $56 2 Years $98 Mail delivery outside of Summit County (Includes a free e-Edition subscription) 1 Year $80 2 Years $138 Home Delivery within Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Wasatch Counties (Includes a free e-Edition subscription) 1 Year $80 2 Years $138 Call us today and ask for Lacy 435.649.9014 MATTHEW SIDFORD Sales Person of the Year 3 BEER BATTERED FISH TACOS 2 Congratulations to our Top Producers of 2018! FOR CHRISTOPHER O’NEILL 2nd Top Producer PRICE AND PARTICIPATION MAY VARY. SINGLE ITEM PRICE ON MENU BOARD. PRICE AND PARTICIPATION MAY VARY. 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