Beach volleyball — maybe with a glass of beer — is coming to suburban Bluffdale.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The SandBar in North Salt Lake on Redwood Road, on Friday, August 22, 2025.
Salt Lake and Utah County suburbanites will soon have a new place to dig, play in the sand and drink a relaxing beer.
No, there’s not a new beach opening on the Utah Lake shoreline. There’s a new sand volleyball facility coming to Bluffdale.
SandBar, an indoor and outdoor gym in North Salt Lake, is building a second location in the southern Salt Lake County suburb.
“We are just looking to expand to Bluffdale,” owner Cory Merrell told the Bluffdale City Council at a recent meeting. “We’ve been bursting at the seams for about three years and … so, we’re planning on doing six indoor courts at this facility with one outdoor court.”
Council members have unanimously voted to align the city’s alcohol rules with state code and grant the city’s consent for SandBar’s on-premises beer recreation license.
The permit allows recreational facilities, such as golf courses and bowling alleys, to serve beer up to 5% alcohol by volume on draft, in cans or bottles. Licensees can’t sell wine, liquor or heavier beer.
SandBar’s North Salt Lake location has been in business for about seven years now, Merrell said. That facility has five indoor sand courts and four outdoors.
“I don’t want to sound too biased, but I absolutely love volleyball,” Bluffdale council member Alan Lord said before the council’s positive vote. “It’s one of my favorite sports that I’ve ever played.”
The North Salt Lake gym hosts adult leagues, tournaments and open play. The facility’s website also advertises a golf simulator for rent. Those interested can rent courts as well, for a group of players.
Bluffdale Mayor Natalie Hall said that much of her money and time is spent on her teenager who plays club volleyball.
She asked if the Bluffdale location would host events for junior players. Merrell said 90% of what the business puts on is for adults, but that the company does run some events for kids.
The facility was set to open on Monday, according to an Instagram post from Aug. 11. The city and SandBar still have to iron out zoning provisions for the outdoor court, officials said at the meeting.
“We’re happy you chose Bluffdale,” Hall said. “Welcome.”
