Permits You Need to Open a Restaurant in Salt Lake City, UT

Opening a restaurant in Salt Lake City requires careful planning around Utah’s unique alcohol regulations. The Salt Lake County Health Department handles food service permitting and inspections, while the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) manages one of the most regulated liquor licensing systems in the country.

Utah’s liquor laws are the most significant consideration for restaurant owners. The DABC limits the total number of restaurant liquor licenses statewide, and new licenses are only issued as the population grows or existing licenses are surrendered. As of early 2026, there is often a waitlist. If you plan to serve alcohol, apply to the DABC as early as possible — ideally before signing a lease. Utah also prohibits “Zion curtains” (barriers that hide drink preparation) as of 2017, but still requires that alcohol be ordered with food and limits drink size to 2.5 ounces of spirits per serving.

Salt Lake City’s restaurant scene is concentrated in downtown, Sugar House, 9th and 9th, and the Granary District. The city’s business licensing process includes a built-in zoning verification step, so you will know early if your chosen location has any zoning conflicts. Plan your first-year budget with the additional 1% restaurant tax in mind — this applies on top of the standard 7.75% sales tax rate, bringing the effective tax on restaurant sales to 8.75%.