Podcast

State Liquor Stores Essential, Local Restaurants Are Not?!

Liquor is deemed by the state as essential if bought at state liquor stores. But not essential if the livelihoods of small business owners are in question. Why is this?

|


As Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall decided to extend restaurant and bar closures to at least May 1st, State Liquor stores have long lines as customers wait for their essential remedies for staying home.

Liquor is deemed by the state as essential if bought at state liquor stores. But not essential if the livelihoods of small business owners are in question. Why is this?

In this episode of the Utah Stories podcast, we discuss this issue with local restaurant owner Eddee Johanson, the owner of Yoshis Japanese Grill.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:

WATCH THE VIDEO:

FOR MORE UTAH STORIES PODCASTS GO HERE.



Join our newsletter.
Stay informed.

Related Articles


  • “We’re Criminalizing Homelessness”: Utah’s Growing Crisis and the Need for Collaboration

    In the heart of Salt Lake City, where the LDS Church sends aid to every corner of the globe, a growing humanitarian disaster is unfolding just blocks away.
    Homeless encampments are dismantled, lives disrupted, and still, there’s no lasting solution in sight.
    So why can’t Utah’s political leaders get it right?
    Homeless advocate Robin Pendergrast pulls back the curtain on the state’s broken system, revealing why temporary fixes like pods and camps are dismantled, and how grassroots efforts are the only thing keeping hope alive.

    “Instead of helping, we’re tearing down camps, bulldozing lives, and offering no place for these people to go,” Pendergrast says.
    Read on to find out why Utah’s war on homelessness is making things worse, and what needs to happen next.

    To access this post, you must purchase Full Access Membership.


  • The Battle Over Books in Utah: A Clash for the Future of Freedom

    “Books don’t turn kids gay, but banning them just might turn them into adults who can’t think for themselves.”

    With those words, Rebekah Cummings cut straight to the heart of Utah’s most heated controversy. As school districts across the state debate which books belong in children’s hands, the battle lines are drawn between parents who demand control over their children’s reading material and educators who fear that censorship will smother intellectual freedom. But behind the arguments about explicit content, gender identity, and family values, a bigger question looms: What happens when a society starts erasing the stories it finds uncomfortable?

    To access this post, you must purchase Full Access Membership.


  • Left Behind in Utah’s ‘Golden Age’: The Fight for Affordable Housing and Freedom

    “If you’re not making $150,000 a year, you’re not feeling this golden age. Most people are just trying to keep up.” While Utah’s leaders celebrate a booming economy, many residents are left struggling with rising housing costs and economic inequality. Discover the untold story of how Utah’s ‘golden age’ is leaving its middle class behind and the fight for affordable housing and true freedom. Read more about the growing movement challenging the status quo.

    To access this post, you must purchase Full Access Membership.


  • Transforming Lives and Challenging the U.S. Prison System’s Failures in Utah

    Jordan Holdaway was a career criminal, facing his fifth long-term prison sentence, when he was given a shocking chance to escape a decade behind bars. Enter The Other Side Academy—a Utah-based program that has not only kept him out of prison but transformed his life. What began as an opportunity to avoid more jail time became a life-changing journey. Now, after four years in the program, Jordan has turned his back on his criminal past and is helping others do the same, proving that even the most hardened criminals can change.