City Denies New Club Liquor Permit

The City denied an appeal for an exception to the city liquor law that would allow a new club to acquire a liquor license.

By Kim Burgess on Thursday, December 10, 2009

PROVIDENCE — Cache Valley residents hoping to enjoy a night of dancing and drinks will have to look elsewhere for now.

During a Tuesday night meeting, the Providence City Council unanimously opposed changing city code to allow a club/tavern liquor license — a move that would have paved the way for an upscale nightclub operated in partnership with Iron Gate Grill.

Juan Mariano, one of the owners of Logan’s Club New York, brought the issue before the council saying that he wanted to build a Providence nightclub that would appeal to tourists, international students and others looking for entertainment in a typically “dry” community.

Mariano planned to construct the club next door to the Iron Gate Grill at roughly 500 W. 100 North and use the restaurant’s kitchen to prepare food, though alcohol would have been the primary source of revenue.

“We would create an upscale, sophisticated nightclub,” Mariano told the council. “We want to provide a quality place to socialize.”

Mariano also pointed to the economic development the club would bring, saying he planned to hire 15 to 25 people.

“There is demand for this,” he added. “The comments we get are that there is nothing to do for visitors and tourists in Cache Valley.”

At Club New York, Mariano has sometimes served liquor using one-time special event alcohol permits that are dispensed by the Utah Department of Alcohol Beverage Control.

The fact that his business sometimes serves booze and sometimes doesn’t results in “confusion,” Mariano said. He explained that some potential patrons have chosen to go elsewhere on alcohol-free nights, leaving Club New York for local bars like nearby Mulligans.

In Providence, Mariano hoped to create an establishment that was a dependable place for “dancing and the option to have a drink or two.”

The city council members were clearly not on board.

Mariano’s presentation drew relatively few comments from the council other than David Low’s remarks that he is “not interested in creating the culture of clubs, taverns and drinking.”

While Mariano’s efforts failed, the Beehive State is showing signs of loosening its notoriously complex liquor laws.

During the last Legislative session, Utah lawmakers abolished the private club system, which required bar patrons to sign up for a temporary membership to enter, and decided to allow bartenders to serve cocktails over the counter at restaurant bars.

Then-Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was a major advocate of the changes, saying they would increase tourism.

Mariano mentioned Huntman’s support to the council, noting that the former governor is a devout member of the LDS Church but still backed the new laws.

From the Herald Journal; click here for the original article.



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