What’s Next for Junior’s Tavern?

New ownership raises questions about the old-school bar’s future.

BY AVREY EVANS

JUNIOR’S TAVERN has been downtown’s one true and good neighborhood joint since the ’70s. It’s a place that begs you to grab a bar stool, order a beer, and settle in for above-average bar chatter, like an actual good conversation. The usual suspects sitting next to you could be gray-haired intellectuals, booted construction workers coming off shift, women stopping in for a quick fernet fix, and maybe even a few high-powered city officials and media types. A few things you won’t find? Overpriced cocktails, douchey frat brothers and snooty influencers insisting their “phone eats first.” Yep. Junior’s is a real bar, just that. And it’s earned the devotion of countless regulars, some who have been visiting for 30-plus years.

As downtown’s nightlife scene has erupted with flashy new clubs and presumptuous mixology trends, Junior’s has remained a constant. It’s such a fixture that, understandably, when owner Greg Arata announced his retirement earlier this year, Juniors’ regulars began fretting. But Arata, being Arata, wouldn’t pass the torch to just anyone. Both he and new owner Bob McCarthy insist Junior’s will remain a bar for the people.

“It was time to call it a career,” says Arata, who has been working behind the bar since 1975 when Junior’s sat across from the old Salt Lake City Library (now the Leonardo). Forty-seven years and one move later, Arata rang up the one person he knew would maintain the spirit of Junior’s.

“In 1992 I met Greg, and I walked right up to him and said ‘I want to buy this bar,’” says new owner Bob McCarthy. “Every time I saw him for the next 20 years I asked him the same thing, it became a joke between us until he reached out to me six months ago and said, ‘OK I’m ready.’” McCarthy, who also owns Stoneground and The Garage on Beck, doesn’t take his new ownership role lightly and is quick to reassure skeptical regulars.

“I don’t want to replace Juniors’ heart and soul, and I don’t want to shock the people that have been coming here 15, 20, 30 years,” he says. “Without them, Junior’s doesn’t exist.”

McCarthy says he wants to enhance the things that make Junior’s great. “I like to unearth things, find out what used to happen there, what bands played there, what were the glory days like, and bring them back to life,” he says. While paying homage to the bar’s storied past, Junior’s will also receive some much-needed modern updates. For customers, this will look like updated bathrooms and a garagestyle entrance to the patio. But rest assured, McCarthy is running any big changes past the employees (all of which have stayed on through the transition) and the regulars at the bar corner, who’ve dubbed themselves the “North Enders.” “I’ve created the ‘North End Coalition,’” McCarthy says. “I come to them with ideas and ask their honest opinion.”

Ultimately, Junior’s will remain the same-old friendly bar for the foreseeable future, as McCarthy isn’t planning any significant changes for the next two to three years. And Arata is confident Juniors’ new ownership is a step in the right direction. “Change is hard, and takes a while to get used to,” Greg adds. “I have a lot of faith in him.” McCarthy is determined to earn that same trust from Junior’s faithful. His plan? “For now I sit, I listen and I get everyone comfortable.” As for Arata, you’ll likely still find him posted up at the bar’s north end in the afternoon, but mostly his plan is this: “Now, I’m just gonna live!”

BOBBY JUNIOR’S

Bargoers might notice an alteration to Junior’s sign in the next few months. McCarthy, whose full name is Robert McCarthy Jr., plans to add an arc above the existing signage to read “Bobby Junior’s’.” “It signifies a transition,” says McCarthy “It’s an homage to moving forward.”

Desert Edge Brewery–273

S. Trolley Square, SLC, 801-521-8917. desertedgebrewery.com. The constantly changing variety and Beer School set Desert Edge apart from all the others. This classic Salt Lake bar (and restaurant) continues to innovate its brews.

Epic Brewing Company– 825 S. State St., SLC, 801-906-0123. epicbrewing.com. Epic exclusively brews high-alcohol content beer. The brewing facility moved to Colorado, but you can still buy cold beer to-go at the taproom.

Fisher Brewing Company–

3 20 W. 800 South, SLC, 801-487-2337. fisherbeer.com. Fisher takes its name from a brewery originally founded in 1884, but the brews and low-key atmosphere are strictly right now. One of the few in town that has cask ale occasionally.

Grid City Beer Works – 333 W. 2100 South, South Salt Lake,801906-8390. gridcitybeerworks.com. Grid City does triple-duty as a pub, brewery and restaurant. They also triple the ways they serve their one-of-a-kind beers— cask, nitro or CO2. The hard seltzers are pretty tasty, too.

HK Brewing Collective –

370 W. Aspen Ave., SLC, 801-907-0869. hkbrewing.com

Before the HK Brewing taproom, there was Hans Kombucha, a women-founded and queer-owned brewery. Now they’re slinging ‘booch’ from their taproom and lounge, along with tasty bites.

Hopkins Brewing Company–

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC, 385-528-3275. hopkinsbrewingcompany.com. If you like craft beer served with a focus on sustainability, “The Hop” could be your new favorite watering hole. The overall vibe is a natural fit for the Sugar House scene with live music multiple nights a week.

Kiitos Brewing– 608 W. 700 South, 801-215-9165. kiitosbrewing. com. A rising star, Kiitos brews are on several menus around town. But if you stop by the brewery to taste, you can play pinball, too.

Level Crossing Brewing Company –2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-270-5752. levelcrossingbrewing.com. A welcoming bar and community-minded gathering place for trivia and board game night and, of course, hand-crafted beer and woodfired pizza.

Mountain West Cider– 425 N. 400 West, SLC, 801-935-4147. mountainwestcider.com. With handcrafted ciders ranging from dry to sweet, all named for Utah’s iconic natural features, the people at Mountain West Cider know their craft and their community.

Park City Brewing–764 Uinta Way #C1, Park City, 435-2008352. parkcitybrewing.com. Their core beers are brewed in Park City and are named for the community. The brewpub is kid-friendly, making Park City Brewing the perfect family après spot.

Prodigy Brewing–25 W. Center Street, Logan, 435-375-3313. prodigy-brewing.com. A family-friendly brewpub, Prodigy serves an upscale twist on classic brewpub fare and beers with labels tailored to the area, like “Cached Out” Hefeweizen and “Rusty Hoe” Farmhouse Ale.

Proper Brewing Co.– 857 S. Main St., 801-953-1707. properbrewingco.com. From the same proper folks who brought you the Publick House, Proper Brewery and Burgers hugely expands the brewing capacity of the original.

Red Rock Brewery–254 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-521-7446. redrockbrewing.com. A longtime favorite for tippling and tasting—the pub draws on 45 recipes for its rotating selection.

RoHa Brewing Project – 30 E. Kensington Ave., SLC, 385-227-8982. rohabrewing.com. A friendly local taproom in the heart of Salt Lake’s Ballpark neighborhood. This taproom offers 12 draft beers, a variety of high-points beers, local ciders, wine, canned cocktails and spirits. Enjoy the live music, a firkin and other events.

Roosters Brewing Co.–253 25th Street, Ogden, 801-627-6171. roostersbrewingco.com. A local favorite in the heart of everything Historic 25th Street in Ogden, Roosters Brewing Co. offers both a comfortable dining experience in their restaurant and a 21+ tap room. The owners are deeply involved in the community, and that love shows in their drinkable beers and reliable American pubfare.

Saltfire Brewing–2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-9550504. saltfirebrewing.com. Located in a distilling and brewery hub of South Salt Lake, SaltFire has grown alongside its contemporaries, bringing a punk/metal edge and the tongue-in-cheek labels of its tasty craft brews, including “crushable” collaborations with the Heavy Metal Shop.

Salt Flats Brewing Co.–2020 Industrial Circle, SLC, 801828-3469. saltflatsbeer.com. Born in a garage—the Garage Grill to be exact— Salt Flats’ drinkable beers each takes its name from racing and motorsports culture. This is beer brewed to celebrate the racecar driver in all of us.

Shades Brewing–154 W. Utopia Ave., South Salt Lake, 435-2003009. shadesbrewing.beer. A momand-pop brewery supplying many local restaurants—check the website—stop by their tap room.

Squatters/Wasatch–147 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-2739; 2110 Highland Dr., SLC, 801-783-1127; 1763 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-466-8855. saltlakebrewingco.com. Salt Lake’s original breweries merged to form Utah Brewers Cooperative and are now in the hands of Salt Lake Brewing Company. Squatters and Wasatch are the most popular watering holes in Salt Lake.

Talisman Brewing Company–1258 Gibson Ave., Ogden, 385-389-2945. talismanbrewingco.com. Talisman’s friendly tap room has 18 beers on tap, and you can pick up your own cans and growlers to take home. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food or order from a nearby restaurant. Dog friendly.

TF Brewing–936 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-270-5972. tfbrewing.com. TF stands for Templin Family. Brewmaster Kevin Templin has a long history in Salt Lake’s beer scene. Expect meticulously made German-style beer and don’t miss game night.

Uinta Brewing Company–1722 S. Fremont Dr., SLC, 801-467-0909. uintabrewing.com Founder Will Hamill says, “We make beer. Period.” Uinta produces certified organic beers and beer in corked bottles.

Distilleries & Tasting Rooms

Beehive Distilling–2245 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-2590252. beehivedistilling.com. Perhaps best known for their Jack Rabbit Gin, Beehive Distilling also serves up craft cocktails from not just a tasting room, but a full bar.

Clear Water Distilling Co.– 564 W. 700 South, Ste. 401, Pleasant Grove, 801-997-8667. clearwaterdistilling.com. Utah County’s lone distillery is doing the Lord’s work in bringing that part of Utah equally singular spirits. Tastings/tours are available.

Dented Brick Distillery– 3100 S. Washington St., South Salt Lake, 801-883-9837. dentedbrick.com. Steeped in history, Dented Brick spirit start with water from a local artesian well. The driller of the well is also the distillery’s namesake. Try their handcrafted, signature vodka, rye, gin and rum in a scheduled tasting.

Hammer Spring Distillers – 3697 W. 1987 South, SLC, 801-599-4704. hammerspring. com. The distillery makes a variety of spirits, including vodka, gin, coffee liqueur and whiskey. Tours and tastings are available.

Holystone Distilling–207 W. 4860 South, Murray, 385-800-2580. holystonedistilling.com. Holystone is a small batch distillery, maker of an 114-proof gin, a grape-based vodka, Utah’s first legal absinthe and first Shochu. Tastings and tours are available by appointment.

Ogden’s Own Distillery– 615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden, 801-458-1995. ogdensown.com

Ogden’s Own brings fun and passion with its labels, the most well-known of which is their award-winning Five Wives Vodka. Craft cocktails tailored to their spirits are served at their on-site cocktail bar, Side Bar.

Outlaw Distillery– 552 W. 8360 South, Midvale, 801-706-1428. outlawdistillery.com. Outlaw makes rum, spiced rum, white whiskey, whiskey and Outlaw moonshine. Distillery tours available.

Simplicity Cocktails, LLC – 335 W. 1830 South, SLC, 801210-0868. drinksimplicity.com. Are you “ready-to-drink” craft cocktails and spirits? At Simplicity Cocktails, they follow one motto: keep it simple. When your product tastes that good, there’s no need to overcomplicate. Tastings are available at Simplicity’s Micro Lab.

Sugar House

Distillery–2212 S. West Temple, #14, SLC, 801-726-0403. sugarhousedistillery.net. Sugar House’s distillers have a keen eye for detail, and ingredients for their spirits are sourced locally whenever possible. Everything goes down smooth. Open for tours and tastings.

Waterpocket

Distillery–2084 W. 2200 South, West Valley City, 801-382-9921. waterpocket.co. Waterpocket’s spirits are often fresh takes on old favorites or venturing into entirely new territory. Tours and tastings are available by appointment.