Provincial governments have liberalized B.C.’s liquor regulations through the decades, but plenty of quirky regulations continue to surprise and frustrate restaurant owners and caterers.
Longtime restaurateur Vera Eftovska started advertising happy hour specials at her five-year-old Denman Street eatery Acacia Fillo Bar earlier this month. She was unaware that such an offer is illegal in B.C.
When Business in Vancouver alerted her that she was breaking the law, she searched the Internet to confirm that fact and then said that she would stop offering beer and wine at a slight discount between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“I saw some other places doing it and I thought maybe I would try it,” she said October 24. “I think it will help the business. I was just trying to attract some customers.”
Other bar owners have told BIV that they also want the freedom to change the price of a drink during the day. (See “Bar owners take a shot at B.C. liquor regulations” – issue 867; June 6-12, 2006.)
A series of B.C. solicitors general under the previous Gordon Campbell administration took a hands-off approach to changing that law.
So far, Premier Christy Clark’s solicitor general, Shirley Bond, has taken the same approach.
Eftovska’s other business is the 10-year-old Urban Catering. As a caterer, she wants the B.C. government to also amend a seemingly arbitrary BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) policy that causes major business losses and threats of $100,000 fines for caterers. (See “B.C. liquor policy hurting event hosts and caterers” – issue 1102; December 7-13, 2010.)
LCLB’s policy requires event organizers and others who host catered parties to independently buy and transport any alcohol they plan to pour at their event. They must also get an LCLB special occasion licence on their own.
Caterers are prohibited from buying beer, wine or spirits for their customers even if they charge only enough to recoup their costs. Nor may they get special occasion event licences on their clients’ behalf.
Glen Korstrom
@GlenKorstrom