Provo Council Rejects Downtown Sports Bar Proposal
Council voted 4-3 against The RX Bar and Grill, a proposed upscale bar for the former B&H Pharmacy building on West Center Street.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Cocktails
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The Provo City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday against The RX Bar and Grill, a proposed 21+ upscale sports bar with a rooftop area, karaoke and live music. After the vote, the owners of Scorez Sports Bar withdrew their application and offer to purchase the vacant venue.
Why it matters
Provo has only one stand-alone bar and has not approved a new bar license in more than a decade, so the decision keeps the downtown nightlife options limited for residents. Council members said they would prefer a restaurant rather than a bar in the former pharmacy building, citing zoning authority.
Provo residents spent between $4 million and $6 million a year at bars in other cities, according to the figures cited in the debate. Utah law requires restaurants with a liquor license to earn 70% of gross revenue from food, a threshold that shaped the proposal's structure.
The players
Provo City Council
The Provo City Council is the municipal legislative body that voted on the proposal and holds zoning authority over downtown development.
Craig Christensen
Craig Christensen is a Provo City Council member who argued that the city has the right to enforce zoning it deems appropriate.
Scorez Sports Bar
Scorez Sports Bar is a Lehi-based sports bar whose owners withdrew their application and offer to buy the venue after the vote.
The details
The proposed venue was to occupy 286 W. Center St., the former B&H Pharmacy building, and was pitched as a rooftop-equipped upscale sports bar. Scorez owners had offered to buy the vacant building to convert it into a sports bar before withdrawing after the vote.
Timeline
Tuesday (November 3, 2026): Council voted 4-3 against The RX Bar and Grill.
July 2025: U.S. census estimate placed Provo's population at 114,527.
More than a decade ago: Provo last approved a new bar license.
Legal Context
Utah's statewide quota of one bar license per 9,356 residents means Provo's population would support about 12 licenses, yet the city has approved none in more than a decade. The 70% food-revenue rule for liquor-licensed restaurants shapes how most establishments in the state are structured.
Provo residents who want a bar-style night out will continue to travel to other cities for drinks, with the council's decision leaving the downtown building without a liquor-licensed operator. The outcome means the cost of that out-of-town spending, estimated at $4 million to $6 million a year, will remain outside the local economy.
The takeaway
Local zoning and licensing decisions can shape the nightlife options available to residents for years, so following city council agendas is the practical way to track future bar proposals in Provo.
Further reading
For more on the local drinks scene, see Cocktails coverage for Provo.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
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