Booze-Serving Utah Theater Can’t Open Until Bar Is Hidden Image courtesy of FOX-13
While it’s perfectly legal to enjoy an alcoholic beverage in Utah, the state has certain restrictions that any business has to comply with before it can serve boozy drinks. That’s why a new arts center planned for Salt Lake City has to make some changes before it can open up to the public.
The new Eccles Theater is planning to install something a bit unusual in order to fall in line with Utah liquor laws, FOX-13 reports: a “Zion Ceiling.” “Zion Curtains,” as they’re known in Utah, are a common sight in restaurants where alcohol is served, because the law dictates that alcohol be prepared in a separate area, but a special ceiling is not so common.
The theater’s lobby — which features a bistro — is several stories high, with impressive views for those up above. So in order to obtain its restaurant liquor license from the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, it needs to hide booze bottles and the preparation of alcoholic beverages from the public.
“It is still visible from certain parts of the Eccles Theater for people to see the mixing of drinks and the bottles of alcohol,” said a spokesman for the DABC. “It’s not our decision there. We wish they had been able to comply. We have been working with them for about a year, but this is state law and it’s out of our hands.”
An official with the Salt Lake County’s Center for the Arts told FOX-13 they plan to hide the preparation area, as well as adding a door to keep it from being viewed from any other vantage points.
“From the very beginning, we knew there were going to be some concerns about that,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re very confident we’ll be within the law and we’ll be able to provide a great experience for our guests.”
The new Eccles Theater has to install a ‘Zion Ceiling’ to comply with Utah liquor laws [FOX-13]
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