More restaurants dispense with Zion Curtains

by Dawn House

The Salt Lake Tribune

Starting today, bartenders may hand drinks directly to diners sitting at restaurant counters when a portion of new legislation goes into effect that makes sweeping changes to Utah’s liquor laws.

That’s because as of midnight Monday they no longer will have to deal with barriers, dubbed Zion Curtains, that were erected to separate diners from alcoholic beverages. The old statutes were so strict that bartenders were also prohibited from handing anything over the barriers — including a glass of water, a plate of food, a napkin or even a bill. Either the bartender had to walk around the counter or hand the items to a server who made the trek around the barrier.

Shawn Boyle, manager of the downtown restaurant Faustina, can hardly wait to get rid of the odd looking glass partition that sits atop a counter.

“Not having these barriers is going to save us a lot of time, especially with out-of-state visitors who constantly ask what it is and why it’s there, which then goes onto questions and comments about other state liquor laws,” he said. “It turns into a long conversation about something we don’t have any control over — plus, the thing is kind of an eyesore.”

Until 2001, all alcohol was hidden from public view in Utah restaurants. That’s when the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a state ban against liquor advertising and displays. 

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But don’t think that Utah has suddenly transformed into an alcohol-friendly state. In fact, some of the new rules in the liquor bill are even more strict. New restaurants must pour and mix their booze behind a ten foot wall, away from the eyes of children. Existing restaurants, like Sonora Grill, are grandfathered in and can remove the Zion Curtain without adding any new separations.