Hospitality industry helps generate $1 billion in taxes

Utah’s hospitality industry and the state’s reputation as a mecca for outdoor recreation have helped to deliver more than $1 billion in tourist-generated tax revenue last year, according to the state tourism director.

“It’s booming,” Vicki Varela, the managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, told The Associated Press. “It’s like Utah is being discovered.”

Utah’s natural treasures mix the Rocky Mountains and deserts of the Southwest, making it an attractive place for visitors and outdoor enthusiasts, Vicki Varela, the managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism said.

At the Utah Tourism Conference in Ogden, Varela told representatives of the tourism and hospitality industry that the recovering economy has boosted the number of visitors to the state.

The biggest attractions remain Utah’s ski resorts, five national parks and 43 state parks, Varela said. About 4.2 million visitors came to ski in Utah last year, according to the state tourism office.

Utah’s five national parks attracted 6.3 million visitors, while national monuments, recreation areas and historical sites attracted 5.2 million visitors. State parks saw about 4.1 million visitors. The Enterprise

Senate immigration bill would remake economy

Landmark immigration legislation passed by the Senate would remake America’s workforce from the highest rungs to the lowest, bringing more immigrants into numerous sectors of the economy, from elite technology companies to restaurant kitchens and rural fields.

In place of the unauthorized workers now commonly found laboring in lower-skilled jobs in the agriculture or service industries, many of these workers would be legal, some of them permanent resident green card holders or even citizens. Salt Lake Tribune

Georgia chicken chain Zaxby’s to open 18 Utah locations

Zaxby’s, a Georgia-based restaurant chain that features a fare of fried chicken foods, plans to open 18 Utah locations in the next five years under the management of a Nevada-based group.

Zaxby’s, which has more than 575 restaurants in 13 mostly southern states, is expanding its brand westward.

It will do so in Utah in partnership with MJM 5G, which says it has operated 30 Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchises in California and Nevada under co-founders Mike Cummings and brothers Jeff and Ryan Howes.

The majority of Zaxby’s restaurants will be in the Salt Lake Valley. Salt Lake Tribune

More Dunkin’ Donuts locations announced for Wasatch Front

Sizzling Platter, which plans to open Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants along the Wasatch Front and points north in the next five years, has announced locations for seven more stores and revealed that it eventually will operate 23 sites, up from 16.

The new locations are in addition to its first Dunkin’ Donuts in Utah, which was announced earlier this year and is set to open June 25 at 217 E. 400 South in Salt Lake City.

Murray-based Sizzling Platter said leases have been signed for stores in Salt Lake County, Bountiful and Ogden. Some will open by the end of the year, the others in 2014, said Gary Shatswell, vice president of marketing for Sizzling Platter LLC, a restaurant-management company.

Along with the sites that have been announced, Sizzling Platter also is in negotiations for additional stores in the state, said Mitch Lowe, the company’s general council and vice president of development. The original agreement included 16 restaurants in Utah, but negotiations have increased the number of stores to 23, said Lowe. Salt Lake Tribune

The future of food?

The new world of 3D printing is on its way to revolutionizing personal weapons after the successful test of the first entirely 3D printed gun in early May, but mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor sees a different future for 3D printing: ending world hunger.

"One of the major advantages of a 3D printer is that it provides personalized nutrition," Contractor said. "If you're male, female, someone is sick — they all have different dietary needs. If you can program your needs into a 3D printer, it can print exactly the nutrients that person requires." Deseret News

Twinkies ovens will fire up in 4 plants, refilling shelves

Look for Twinkies on store shelves in July. Four former Hostess snack cake bakeries around the country are scheduled to re-open within eight to 10 weeks.

Prior to shutting down, Hostess employed about 600 people in Utah at two bakeries, nearly a dozen retail stores and nine depots. Those bakeries remain closed. Salt Lake Tribune

Stroll’s 2013 Locavore Index ranks states in terms of commitment to local foods

The Strolling of the Heifers has put together its second annual Locavore index rates the 50 states and the District of Columbia on how strong their local food systems are, and Vermont has once again come out on top. The index uses census and U.S. Department of Agriculture data, along with a per capita comparison of farmers’ markets, consumer supported agriculture operations (CSAs) and food hubs in ranking the states.

The Vermont-based local food advocacy group’s index incorporates farmers markets, consumer-supported agriculture operations (CSAs) and food hubs in its per-capita comparison of consumers’ interest in eating locally-sourced foods — also known as locavorism.

This year, Utah ranked 44th, after being ranked 37th the previous year. Population rose by over 70,000, but gained only one farmers market. But the largest difference was that the cooperative agreement between farmers and consumers dropped from 110 in 2011 to only 37 in 2012.

Local foods are more sustainable, healthier, better for the environment and economically positive than foods sourced from large-scale, globalized food systems. Local foods use less fuel through transportation, is typically fresher and healthier due to less time in transit, losing fewer nutrients and less spoilage. They also build local economies by circulating food dollars locally and creating local jobs through farms, processing and distribution systems. Strolling of the Heifers

Utah Annual Chicken and Egg Production

Utah egg production during the year ending November 30, 2012 totaled 1.0 billion eggs, up 4 percent from 2011. Utah chicken layer numbers during 2012 averaged 3.65 million, up 5 percent from 2011. The annual average production per layer on hand in 2012 was 276 eggs, down 1 percent from 2011.

The full report can be found here.

'Zion curtain' bill passes House, advances to Senate

A bill that would allow restaurants to tear down the so-called "Zion curtain" intended to shield customers from the preparation of alcoholic drinks passed the House on Tuesday without debate.

Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Odgen, said he came up with the idea for HB228 after seeing the required barrier at a restaurant and learning the 2009 law mandating customers not see drinks being poured or mixed only applied to restaurants licensed after that date.

Wilcox said an estimated 80 percent to 90 percent of restaurants have not had to erect a 7-foot tall barrier while those that have are typically smaller establishments. If lawmakers are treating some restaurants differently, Wilcox told his fellow representatives, "we're not doing our job."

He also noted the barrier has been the subject of a number of national news stories, the kind of publicity that he said hurts tourism.

"We spend a lot of time and money on tourism advertising in Utah to draw people here," Wilcox said.
The bill passed the House 63-11 and now goes to the Senate. Deseret News

Senate clears path for restaurant chains to get liquor licenses

Restaurants that serve alcohol would not have to wait for a state liquor license to become available in order to open more locations under a bill the Senate approved Tuesday.

SB167 would create a "master" license that a restaurant chain could obtain to cover all of its outlets rather than having to get permits for each one.

The measure would remove the uncertainty for big chains as to whether liquor licenses would be available under Utah's quota system, said bill sponsor Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem. It also would provide for more restaurants to serve alcohol.

A master full-service restaurant license would cost $1,500 plus a separate $2,200 fee for each location, making it more expensive than buying single licenses. A full-service restaurant may offer liquor, wine and beer. A master license would not be available to bars and social clubs.

The bill also calls for increased enforcement of state liquor laws. It includes a formula for more enforcement officers based on the number of restaurant locations, not licenses issued. Deseret News

Agriculture plays important role in Utah economy

Agriculture continues to play an important role in Utah’s economy, according to a Utah State University study.

The study found that when taking into account related industries such as food processing, agriculture contributed $17.5 billion to the state’s economy in 2011, or 14.1 percent of the total. It also found that agricultural production and processing directly and indirectly generated about 78,000 jobs and $2.7 billion in compensation.

The study, released Friday at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food offices, took a broader view of agriculture’s impact than previous studies by examining all related sectors. Insurance Journal

By the Numbers: How Americans Spend Their Money

Last year, Americans spent $10.7 trillion shopping. With that much dough, you could buy over 2000 aircraft carriers, 300 private islands, and still have money left over for a latte. Here’s a taste of the things we bought—and how much we spent on them. Mental Floss

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Bill could free up more restaurant liquor permits in Utah

A bill allowing restaurant chains to hold a single master liquor license for all locations rather than being required to obtain a permit for each eatery passed out of a legislative committee on Thursday.

SB167, which received unanimous approval, goes to the full Senate for consideration.

Sponsor Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said the proposal would allow chains operating at least five restaurants to get one license permitting all types of alcohol to be served or a limited-service license allowing beer and wine.

The measure is aimed at easing a chronic shortage of permits that the hospitality industry and the governor have said are adversely affecting economic development. But Jayne Brown, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the bill should be placed on hold until the state conducts a study to ensure there won’t be high concentrations of liquor outlets in neighborhoods.

Under current law, each restaurant that wants to serve alcohol must have a liquor permit, tying up dozens of licenses and creating shortages, a problem lawmakers generally have been unwilling to remedy, citing concerns about drunk driving, underage drinking and overconsumption. More than 80 percent of legislators are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches its members to refrain from drinking alcohol.

At the same time, Utah’s changing demographics are putting pressure on the number of available permits. Drinkers in the state are downing nearly a third more liquor than they did six years ago, according to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. In addition, the population quota system for creating additional licenses does not recognize the millions of tourists who dine in Utah each year.

The bill does not address creating club or bar licenses, which are in such short supply that 19 applicants are on a waiting list for one available permit. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah ranks last in school breakfasts for low-income students

Breakfast may be considered the most important meal of the day by most people, but according to a new report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), there is a good chance that many students in Utah are not getting that meal to help jump start their day.

According to the report released by FRAC, Utah ranks last in the nation for the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and who also participated in the breakfast program. The study, based on data from the 2011-2012 school year, shows that only 33.9 percent of Utah students who qualified participated in the school breakfast program, compared to 70.2 percent in New Mexico, the state that had the highest participation rates. Utah was also the only state that did not see an increase in the number of students that participated.

 FRAC is a non-profit organization that works to develop public and private policies “to eradicate domestic hunger and under-nutrition,” according to their website. According to the group’s report, higher numbers of students participating in the school breakfast program “supports health and academic achievement for low-income children.” FRAC’s data suggests that students who participate generally demonstrate better behavior, resulting in fewer classroom disruptions. They also experience fewer absences, and demonstrate fewer emotional and behavioral problems, according to FRAC. Times-Independent

The Plunging Price of Beans

Pinto and black bean prices are down more than 20 percent since last December, the USDA reports today.

Pinto beans dropped -23.3 percent to $0.33 cents per pound, compared with $0.43 cents last year. Black beans sunk -28.6 percent to $0.35 cents compared with $0.49 cents.

The reason is that production has rebounded almost 60 percent from the "dramatic lows" of 2011 —to about 14 million cwt versus about 6 million cwt last year.

Prices for all beans declined slightly on average — here's the chart. Business Insider

Starbucks to Open 1,500 More Cafes in the U.S.

Another Starbucks may soon pop up around the corner, with the world’s biggest coffee company planning to add at least 1,500 cafes in the U.S. over the next five years.

The plan, which would boost the number of Starbucks cafes in the country by about 13 percent, was announced at the company’s investor day in New York Wednesday. Taking into account Canada and South America, the company plans to add a total of 3,000 new cafes in its broader Americas region.

Just a few months ago, the company had predicted it would open just 1,000 new cafes in the country over the next five years.

The upbeat expansion plans mark a turnaround from Starbucks’ struggles during the recession. After hitting a rough patch, the company brought back Schultz as CEO in 2008 and embarked on massive restructuring effort that included closing 10 percent of its U.S. stores.

Cliff Burrows, who heads Starbucks’ domestic business, said the problem wasn’t that Starbucks was oversaturated, but that the company hadn’t been careful about its store openings. In the years leading up to the downturn, the company was opening well over 1,000 stores a year. That led to cafes in locations where signs or traffic might not be optimal, he said.

Burrows said Starbucks has gotten more sophisticated, and noted that the cafes opened in recent years are among the company’s best performers.

Sales at new cafes are averaging about $1 million a year, for example, above the company’s target of $900,000. It costs about $450,000 to build a new cafe.

Since Starbucks already has a broad footprint, the company’s expansion is intended to "deepen" its presence with additional stores in markets across the country, said Troy Alstead, Starbucks’ chief financial officer. That means establishing stores —including drive-thrus and smaller cafes —in more convenient locations for customers. And even as it expands, Starbucks said it expects to maintain growth at cafes open at least a year. The figure, a key metric of health, has ranged between 7 percent and 8 percent globally in the past three years.

After a string of acquisitions in recent years to build on its core business, Schultz indicated Wednesday that the company would hold off on any additional purchases in the near future, noting that the company has "enough to handle." Standard Examiner

Could a Tax on Sugary Drinks Help Americans Avoid the Fiscal Cliff?

Some believe lawmakers should consider taxing sugary drinks to help avoid falling off the so-called fiscal
cliff. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest said a penny-an-ounce tax would yield $160
billion over 10 years.

"Soda and sugary drinks are fueling an epidemic of costly diseases, and the fact that these drinks are dirt
cheap is part of the problem," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson in a written statement. "A
truly balanced approach to deficit reduction should not leave this easy money on the table."

The group also targeted increased taxes on alcoholic beverages for an additional $14 billion a year. It said
those taxes have not increased in more than 20 years. To make his case, Jacobson wrote to members of
the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, as well as budget committees
for both the House and Senate. He noted that more than 30 states have placed excise or sales taxes on
sugar-sweetened drinks to boost funds.

It's a controversial, but not new, idea. It has also been supported by the Economic Policy Institute and the
Bipartisan Policy Center. Former Secretary of Treasury Lawrence Summer told tax economists, "Mark
my words, this one will come," according to a story in the Washington Post.

The Peterson Foundation wanted to expand ideas to reduce the deficit over time and recently hired five
think tanks to come up with plans. The groups include the Center for American Progress and the
Economic Policy Institute on the more liberal side, the conservative American Action Forum and the
Heritage Foundation, and the more neutral Bipartisan Policy Center. Of those, BPC and EPI want taxes
on sweetened drinks, according to the Post's Wonkblog.

Some state legislatures have already adopted some form of sugar tax, while others are considering it. For
instance, WCAX said the Vermont Legislature will consider the issue early next year. It won't be the first
time that body has considered a tax on sweetened drinks, but it may have a more realistic chance of
passing this time around, the station said. Deseret News

Utah Job Fair Set for Ex-Hostess Employees

In Utah, Hostess employed about 600 people in operations at two bakeries, nearly a dozen retail stores and nine depots.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services and Ogden/Weber Technology College will host a job fair Thursday for former Hostess employees.

The job fair will run from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Ogden/Weber Technology College, 200 N. Washington Blvd. in Ogden.

Employers participating include Lofthouse, Kroeger, Kellogg’s, FedEx, CSM Bakery and U.S. Food Services.

Job seekers are urged to bring an updated resúmé and to dress professionally for interviews.
A series of free resume/job search workshops will be presented by the Department of Workforce Services this week. For a list of dates and locations go to: www.jobs.utah.gov.

In Utah, Hostess employed about 600 people in operations at two bakeries, nearly a dozen retail stores and nine depots. Salt Lake Tribune

Consumption Rising, Demanding Legislative Action

Although key members of the Legislature for years have tried to control consumption by restricting the number of alcohol licenses available to restaurants, bars and clubs, an inevitable demographic change and
the push for more economic development could help reshape that longtime policy.

Under current law, each outlet must have a liquor permit, tying up dozens of licenses and creating shortages, which lawmakers generally have been unwilling to remedy, citing concerns about drunk driving, underage drinking and over-consumption.

A lack of available licenses has stopped some chains from entering the market and others from expanding, drawing the attention of everyone from the governor to business owners left out in cold by a lack of permits.

The increase in per capita consumption in Utah is for all types of alcohol, including wine, beer and spirits. Salt Lake Tribune

Halloween spooky spending gives merchants a treat

Ryan Heugly, owner of Mask Costumes, with outlets in Salt Lake City and Taylorsville, said many of his customers are do-it-yourselfers, preferring to put together their own costumes. This year, local favorites are superheroes and zombies.

Despite the economy, Halloween has become the state’s second-highest season for retail revenues, said David Davis president of the Utah Retail Merchants Association. Grocers also are seeing an uptick in sales.

"Along with spending on costumes, decorations and candy, people get hungry," he said. "Anytime you get people together for parties and other social gatherings, there’s always food." Salt Lake Tribune