Utah's Zion Curtain private-club era (1987-2017)
For decades Utah required bars to operate as private clubs with membership fees and forced restaurants to hide drink preparation behind barriers nicknamed the Zion Curtain. These rules, among the strictest in the nation, shaped a nightlife scene with fewer and more exclusive venues.
The barrier requirement was repealed in 2017 as part of broader alcohol reforms that let bars operate more openly.
Salt Lake City's nightlife expanded after the reforms, and new venues began opening downtown, though the state's liquor framework remains restrictive compared to most of the U.S.
Heat Nightclub is opening in a downtown Salt Lake City market that spent decades under some of the nation's toughest liquor rules. Its push through county and city licensing reflects both how far the city's nightlife has come since the private-club era and the regulatory layers still in place.