Less than four months after it opened in Salt Lake City’s Central Ninth neighborhood, Policy Kings “lounge brewery” is at risk of closing, according to an Instagram video posted by one of the owners.
Sara Ridgel — who owns Policy Kings at 79 W. 900 South with her husband, Deandre Ridgel — has been posting videos on the brewery’s Instagram account keeping their supporters updated on the fluid situation.
In a video Sara Ridgel posted Thursday, Sept. 18, she thanked the people who have been coming to Policy Kings to support their business.
“We’re still fighting, we’re not going to give up with our landlord,” she said. “We’re just going to keep pushing and keep fighting and keep working on getting more time.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Ridgel posted a video on Instagram with the caption: “The worst that could happen. PK is officially closing its doors this week.”
She said the planned closure is stemming from a conflict with their landlord over rent. According to that video, Policy Kings is two months behind on its rent and the landlord has threatened to evict them, Ridgel said.
Nearly a week later, on Sept. 24, Policy Kings’ landlords, HMB Partners, filed a complaint against the brewery in 3rd District Court, saying the business had been served with an eviction notice on Sept. 10 and hadn’t complied with that notice. The complaint also seeks $49,304.67 in past rent.
Attempts to reach attorneys for Policy Kings and the landlords were not immediately successful.
Ridgel in the Sept. 16 video went on to say that they had August’s rent in hand and had enough events planned for September to pay that month’s rent.
In a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Ridgel also said they told their landlord they could pay August’s rent. But the landlord threatened to evict Policy Kings and said they had to pay $43,000, Ridgel said.
Ridgel also said in that video that Sunday, Sept. 21, would be Policy Kings’ last day open.
In the Sept. 18 video, Ridgel said they had until the end of the month to raise the $43,000 and called for more people to come out and support Policy Kings. She said the brewery is hosting events, including on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 8 to 11 p.m., when The Messenger was scheduled to perform a jazz set, instrumental covers and original rap tracks with Dante Clavere and Levi Ollerton.
Policy Kings has been getting support from the local bar community. On Sept. 18, the brewery hosted Tropical Karaoke, which featured a cocktail menu from Water Witch bartenders Mikey Edwards and Sam Miller.
The Violet Hour, whose Instagram account says it’s a lesbian bar “coming soon to SLC,” has organized a GoFundMe campaign for Policy Kings that had raised $3,593 as the afternoon of Sept. 25.
“The challenges faced by small businesses are real, and for a minority-owned business like Policy Kings, the stakes are even higher,” the campaign description reads. “Without your support, Policy Kings will not make it through this tough time.”
The Ridgels opened Policy Kings in 2018 in Cedar City, inspired by a term Deandre Ridgel found online one night while he was looking for ideas for beer names.
“Policy kings” refers to Black men who ran an illegal gambling racket called the “numbers game,” aka “policy,” during the time of Prohibition.
The couple moved their business north to Salt Lake City and opened their Central Ninth location in May.