Liquor Commissioner Chair Sam Granato just made his bid for U.S. Senate (against Bob Bennett) a whole lot more festive: As DABC chief, he wants to see liquor-license caps for restaurants go away. ---
Yowza! You give those booze hounds an inch, they take a mile, right, Bobbie Coray? Commissioner Coray, who really likes the caps, might as well say: "I do not like green eggs and ham."
So here's the math: Right now, the state has capped full-service liquor licenses at 540. As of today, KUTV 2 reports that 537 licenses have been spoken for ... so if only four more intrepid souls hang a restaurant shingle in this state, one of them will be forced to serve virgin daiquirís.
What a quandary for conservative, teetotaling GOP lawmakers: Do we support the development of new businesses in Utah, do we support the creation of jobs and tourism infrastructure? Or do we try to maintain the illusion of control and become a national joke trying to show everyone who's boss?