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The state has just about run out of liquor licenses to give restaurants to serve alcohol.
Alcoholic Beverage Control commissioners were told Friday they were down to 19 liquor licenses and only one "limited" license to sell beer and wine.
The bottleneck came about because the commission has been issuing more liquor licenses than statewide population quotas allow. The earliest lawmakers can consider increasing quotas will be weeks or months into next year, state officials say.
"Since August 2006, we gained only five additional limited restaurant licenses by population increase, "but we issued 44 licenses," said compliance director Earl Dorius during the monthly meeting of the commission, which regulates the sale and distribution of alcohol.
The commission is empowered to issue "limited" licenses, based on a quota set by the Utah Legislature at one license per 11,000 statewide population. That equates to 244 licenses - with the 243rd license granted Friday to the Fortune Cookie, 3728 W. 13400 South, Suite 107, Riverton.
"We're pretty lucky, said manager Sianny Tan, whose restaurant has been open for nearly two months. "They chose me because I was polite. I told the truth."
Mountain Mike's Pizza in West Jordan was among three applicants that went away empty handed. Pizza franchise owner Justin Holbrook said his main competitor has a liquor license.
"It's frustrating - we've been on the agenda four times and we still can't get a license," said Holbrook.
Although the quota for full-serve licenses to serve beer, wine and spirits is less strict, requiring less than half the population as limited licenses, the commission has been handing out those licenses too quickly as well. During the past year the commission gained 11 full-service restaurants by population increase, but issued 32 licenses, staffers said.
On Friday, newly elected commissioner Bobbie Coray suggested setting standards for the remaining licenses, rewarding fine restaurants rather than strip clubs or other types of "tacky or sleazy" establishments.
"Maybe we should be more selective," said Coray. "If we give out licenses to strip clubs or we give them to tacky places, we'll be using them up."
During her first meeting last month, Coray cast the only "no" votes in granting licenses for three sexually oriented businesses, saying the clubs "are demeaning to women."
"You wouldn't have much of a business if all you offered was a Diet Coke," Coray told club owners.
Still, some licenses may become available when restaurants close down or liquor licenses expire on Oct. 31. Department spokeswoman Sharon Mackay said population increases usually allow for a new license or two every few months.
It was recommended that the commissioners ask lawmakers to increase quotas. But the Utah Legislature won't be meeting until mid-January and new laws typically go into effect in May.