This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Liquor control commissioner Bobbie Coray asked her colleagues on Wednesday to consider a rule to cover up bottles of booze displayed at restaurants because some diners may be offended at the sight of alcohol.
A glass partition between bartenders and customers required under current regulations may not be enough, Coray told her fellow liquor control commissioners at their monthly meeting.
Coray, a lone holdout opposing liquor licenses for strip bars, now wants the commission to place more restrictions on glass partitions in restaurants. She called the partitions "a Zion curtain," imposed to satisfy Mormons whose faith eschews alcohol.
Although the four other commissioners have not supported Coray in her quest to take away liquor licenses from sexually oriented establishments, they did not indicate whether they would back Corey's bid to keep alcohol out of view.
Glass walls don't obscure the alcohol, said Coray, a nondrinker, turning the "atmosphere in a restaurant to more of a bar." She singled out the Cheesecake Factory, which opens its first Utah outlet at Fashion Place in Murray on Nov. 1, because alcohol bottles are in plain view.
"We have a dual responsibility," she said. "We are to make alcohol available for those who want to consume it and at the same time not make anyone uncomfortable."
Current regulations involving glass partitions can be tricky.
At Squatters Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City, servers constantly must explain Utah liquor laws to befuddled customers - both visitors and locals - said general manager Scott Evans.
Patrons can buy a glass of beer downstairs at one bar, which has a tavern license. But in the loft upstairs, which has a full-service liquor license, diners may not order a drink at the counter. Instead, servers instruct customers to take a seat because alcohol may only be served at dining tables.
"It's a constant challenge to explain Utah liquor laws," said Evans. "And this is true for most every restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City."
Compliance director Earl Dorius said the courts allow restaurants to show or advertise liquor stocks.
Six years ago, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals forced Utah to lift a state-imposed ban against liquor advertising. That ban prevented restaurants from showing wine and spirits lists when advertising that they sold alcohol.
For her part, Coray defended Utah's liquor laws, saying she's challenged the public to come up with one "quirky" liquor statute, and so far, no one has.
"Maybe it's just a perception of a problem," said Coray. "People haven't been able to point out any silly laws to me."