Axios Salt Lake City

February 16, 2023

Hello! It's Thursday. The 2023 NBA All-Star Game is this weekend, so we're dedicating our newsletter to show how the massive sports event is shaping our city.

Today's weather: ☀️ Sunny, with a high of 38°.

Today's newsletter is 934 words — a 3.5-minute read.

1 big thing: Businesses brace for All-Star Weekend

The store front of Urban Hill, a fine-dining restaurant. — Photo: Courtesy of Urban Hill

Local bars and restaurants are gearing up to serve a throng descending on Salt Lake City for NBA All-Star events this weekend.

The festivities — running Feb. 17-19 — are anticipated to draw nearly 125,000 visitors to the capital city, Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, told Axios.

Details: Nick Zocco, executive chef of Urban Hill, a fine dining establishment in the Granary District, told Axios it booked its first buy-out for more than 200 NBA and sports executives this week, along with three other large private events.

Zocco said the restaurant typically serves 550–600 patrons per weekend. This weekend, he anticipates 850–900.
Richard Noel and Duncan Burrell, co-owners of Beer Bar and Bar X, said they're hosting a few private events. They also plan to screen the All-Star events for the public.
"[It's] never a negative thing when you get new, fresh people in your bar," Noel said.

The bottom line: The events are expected to generate $125 million in direct spending and another $125 million to $150 million in indirect spending, such as hiring electricians or carpenters to build pop-up venues for the festivities.

What's next: Brewer said he's excited for Salt Lake City to showcase its hosting capabilities with events like the NBA All-Star Game, and said it could propel the city's bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics.

"This is our moment on stage," he added.

Keep reading

Bonus: 🍷 Utah's first liquor pop-up

Animated illustration of four different kinds of beers. — Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

With bars foreseen to be filled to the brim, the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services is opening its first pop-up liquor store at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Details: Just a few blocks away from Vivint Arena, the temporary location launches today and runs through Saturday. It will operate from 11am to 10pm.

The pop-up will showcase a selection of liquors, ciders, wine and beer made locally for out-of-towners to try.
Visitors can access the store through the visitors center at 90 S. West Temple St.

Between the lines: Outside bars and restaurants, wine, liquor and beer products with more than 5% alcohol by volume are exclusively sold through state-run liquor stores under Utah law.

2. All-Star homecoming

Donovan Mitchell is hugged by former teammates on the Utah Jazz. — Donovan Mitchell gets a hug from former teammates Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson after a January game. Photo: Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

A few of this year's All-Stars have Utah connections, whether they've played for the hometown team or have family ties:

Lauri Markkanen, power forward for the Jazz, is a starter in the All-Star Game and 3-Point Contest.

He was one of three players the Cleveland Cavaliers traded this fall for Donovan Mitchell and has been exceeding expectations all season.
He grew up in Jyväskylä, Finland, and is the first All-Star from a Nordic country. Show off that sisu, Lauri!

Donovan Mitchell is back for the second time since being traded after five seasons with the Jazz.

He was invited to join the 3-Point Contest but declined.
Fans were on pins and needles when he returned with the Cavs in January after publicly disclosing that racism had marred his experience in Utah, but he got a warm welcome from his former teammates.

Damian Lillard, a reserve, played for Weber State from 2009 to 2012 before debuting as NBA Rookie of the Year with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he has spent his career.

He said he came to Weber State to get away from violence he experienced as a teen in Oakland, California, and because coach Randy Rahe's fatherly sternness won him over.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a reserve player, is an older cousin of the briefly-Utahn Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Alexander-Walker joined the Jazz this season and was traded last week to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Three Jazz players are competing as a team in Saturday's Skills Challenge.

Guard Jordan Clarkson has been with the Jazz since 2019.
Center Walker Kessler arrived in Utah this season, fresh out of college, as part of the Timberwolves' trade for Rudy Gobert.
Guard Collin Sexton joined the Jazz as part of the same trade as Markkanen.

Tell a friend

3. Social justice off court

Illustration of a woman's and man's hand holding a basketball together — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

All-Star Weekend typically brings charity and social justice initiatives to the game's host city, and Salt Lake is no exception.

Here are some service projects happening this week:

The big game:

The league is donating about $1 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah and Raise the Future, a group that connects youth in foster care with adults who serve as mentors after they turn 18.

Each group is represented by an All-Star team, and kids from the programs are joining the players in practice, the pregame draft and the game itself.

Celebrity All-Star bucks

Celebrities will shoot from a "4-point line" during the game; for each basket, $4,000 will go to a cancer research internship sponsored by Howard University and Jazz nonprofit partner 5 For The Fight.

A new STEM center

The NBA and State Farm have created a "Learn and Play" center with tech and books at Lincoln Elementary in South Salt Lake and renovated the school's gym.

The center will be unveiled today.

Day of service

More than 500 current and former NBA players and other volunteers will prepare food donations tomorrow with the Utah Food Bank, Bishop's Storehouse and Volunteers of America.