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- The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services is seeking applicants to manage 37 liquor stores throughout the state.
- These "package agencies" will operate under three-year contracts, targeting rural communities.
- Applications are open until March 10, with selections made in May.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services is looking for "business-minded Utahns" to operate retail liquor stores and help expand the department's offerings to the state's more rural communities.
Tiffany Clason, the department's director, said these types of stores are called "package agencies" and operators would manage the stores on three-year contracts with the state.
"Package agencies often look like small retail liquor stores located in rural parts of Utah where state liquor stores are sparse. These stores are built into the fabric of tight-knit small towns, serving local residents and tourists visiting Utah's scenic attractions. Utahns are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and we hope to receive a diverse and qualified pool of applicants interested in the opportunity," Clason said in a statement.
More specifically, the package agencies would fall into one of five different types.
- Operating in conjunction with a resort environment like a hotel or ski lodge, for example, and located on the resort property.
- Operating in conjunction with another business where the primary source of income to the operator is not from the sale of liquor (a convenience store setting with a liquor outlet onsite).
- Small liquor stores, often located in rural areas where state liquor stores are not nearby.
- Located within a licensed hotel or similar facility that is authorized to sell and deliver liquor to tenants or occupants (room service). This type of package agency is not open to the public.
- Located at licensed alcohol manufacturing businesses such as distillers, brewers and wineries, allowing for the manufacturing business to sell the packaged liquor product it produces.
In total, there are 37 package agency contracts available to interested applicants located throughout the following counties: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summitt, Utah, Washington, Wayne and Weber.
Applications will be accepted online now through March 10. The applications will be reviewed in May before the department makes its final selection for the three-year contracts.
Clason added most package agency operators have already been successfully managing their businesses for years and she expects many will apply to continue operating under renewed contracts.
"The commission looks forward to a robust, competitive process in search of the best package agency operators to run efficient, customer service-focused stores while following the state's safety and regulatory requirements," Steve Handy, department commission chairman, said in a statement. "The commission hopes to see applicants that demonstrate good business management skills and understand the unique nature of the respective communities where they would operate."
For more information and details on how to apply, click here.
Correction: An incorrect headline previously implied the 37 liquor stores will be new. Not all of the package agencies will be operating new liquor stores and some have been in operation for years.
