SALT LAKE CITY — At Bout Time Pub and Grub locations across northern Utah, they’re used to the holiday crowds, especially on Thanksgiving Eve.
“Some of our customers are returning home, visiting family, visiting friends, college kids are home. People have a four-day weekend, and they all want to gather in their favorite neighborhood watering hole, and here we are," said Bout Time CFO Tim Ryan.
The bar is prepared for Wednesday night when they’ll have extra staff on hand to help with the influx of people.
“Bout Time also has a rigorous responsible alcohol service contract with our employees, and we constantly drill back down on that and keep that top of mind so that we know when is enough for our customers," Ryan explained.
As people prepare to hit the road on Wednesday, Zero Fatalities shared that so far, in 2025, there have been 65 impaired driving fatalities and 59 impaired driving crashes with serious injuries.
“When it’s time to drive home, maybe as a friend who hasn’t been drinking to drive you home, or call an Uber, use transit. There are a lot of options," said UDOT Statewide Behavioral Safety Program Manager Shaunna Burbidge. "We’re not saying don’t have fun, we’re just saying be responsible about it and plan ahead.”
Salt Lake City International Airport preps for throngs of holiday passengers:
The Utah Department of Transportation, along with the Salt Lake City Police Department, says driving under the influence impacts more than just one person, but the whole community.
“I go out on very serious car crashes, and some of those can be very difficult to deal with. More so, I feel for people whom, regardless of whether someone is in the crash and gets hurt, it affects people," said Det. Michael Ruff with the Salt Lake City Police Department. "The person who gets a DUI, it impacts their family, their friends; if there is a crash, it affects all those people. It’s something we can avoid.”
Ignoring traffic signals, driving unreasonably fast, slow, or inconsistently, or weaving in and out of lanes are all possible signs that someone is driving impaired. For those heading over to their local pub to celebrate the holiday, Ryan says they’re there to help too.
“Don’t be afraid to ask us for assistance in getting a ride share or a ride... because we have all those resources and we’re here to help if you’ve had a little too much fun," he said. "Even call your mom. She’d much rather give you a ride home than have you miss dinner.”
