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SALT LAKE CITY — The state alcohol commission shut down a contract liquor outlet in Tremonton on Tuesday after the operator racked up thousands of dollars in shortages in the past year.
Alcohol regulators removed the remaining inventory from the store, which could be closed for months while the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control finds a new contractor.
The store initially maintained a $50,000 inventory, but the state reduced that to $29,000 and stopped liquor shipments after audits showed shortages this year totaling at least $16,000. The owner, Robert McLachlan, covered some of the losses out of his own pocket.
McLachlan, who ran the store for 30 years, told the commission the shortages started after he moved out of state and hired others to manage the outlet. He said he fired those people and is moving back to Utah to operate the store as soon as his house in South Carolina sells.
But Commissioner Tom Jacobson said the situation called for "drastic action." The commission voted unanimously to cancel McLachlan's contract.
The alcohol control department will solicit requests for a new contractor and hopes to reopen the Tremonton store as soon as possible. Meantime, the nearest state liquor stores are about 20 miles away in Brigham City and 24 miles away in Logan.
Contract liquor outlets or package agencies are found in communities or resorts too small to warrant a state liquor store. They are operated by private individuals or corporate entities under contract with the state.
