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Draper Journal

Salt Flats Grill and Brewhouse to Pursue Brewery License

Jul 01, 2016 08:10AM ● By Kelly Cannon

Draper, Utah- The Draper City Council approved the consent for Salt Flats Grill and Brewhouse to pursue a brewery license during its meeting on June 7. The unanimous decision came weeks after the council gave the grill permission to pursue a restaurant and full-service liquor license.

“They had applied for some alcohol licenses to operate their restaurants,” Keith Morey, the community development director for the city of Draper, said. “They had always contemplated the possibility of doing some kind of brewery, which would require a different license. They just didn’t know when they wanted to do that.”

 Morey said Salt Flats Grill and Brewhouse has been going through a process of exploring other breweries to see if they could potentially use them, but those searches ultimately turned out to be fruitless. 

“They decided to go forward with a plan for their own so they’re going for their own license,” Morey said.

The grill, which has yet to be opened, is located at 1122 South Draper Parkway. The Utah Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) requires any institution that sells or brews alcohol to not be within 300 feet of any church, school or park. The DABC also requires that if an institution that sells or brews alcohol is within 600 feet of a church, school or park, the institution must gain a variance from the owner of the church, school or park.

Morey explained that while a corner of a church owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appears to be within that 600-foot buffer, it does not violate the law.

“Someone might express there is a concern because the church boundary does fall within that. But the real discussion is how that is measured,” Morey said. “State law, if you remember in our last discussions, it’s walking distance, not direct, as-the-bird-flies distance.”

According to state law, the measurement is taken from the entrance of the institution in question and follows the most direct walking route. In this case, a person has to walk down the street to the nearest crosswalk, cross the street and then go back up the street to reach the closest entrance of the church.

“When you do that and you measure it out, it’s 1,800 feet so they definitely fall well within the allowable 600-foot license buffer,” Morey said.

Morey explained to the council that a license for manufacturing typically means a microbrewery, such as the local brewery Squatters, because it is not a retail alcohol license and specific distribution restrictions are in place for distribution in the state.

There were no comments from the public on the issue of the brewery and the council had no further questions for the applicant, who was present at the council meeting.

Councilmember Michele Weeks made the motion to approve the local consent for the grill to pursue the license. The motion was approved by Alan Summerhays and was passed unanimously. Councilmember William Rappleye was not present at the meeting.

“I’m excited to have you guys in the neighborhood,” Weeks said.

 The next step for the Salt Flats Grill and Brewhouse is to apply for a manufacturing license with the DABC.   λ