Nine out of 10 restaurateurs surveyed recently blame the HST for a drop in sales, and 68% say they will vote to scrap the new harmonized tax in a June referendum, according to a recent online survey.
Restaurant owners say strict new blood alcohol limits to combat drinking and driving have also put a dent in sales, according to an online survey conducted by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) March 23 to 31.
Sales dropped by an average of 15% in the seven months following the HST’s introduction in July 2010, the survey found.
Adding to the decline were new limits for drinking and driving. Blood alcohol levels of between 0.05 and 0.08 now result in a three-day licence suspension. In the four months after the province adopted the new limits, liquor sales dropped by 21%, the CRFA says.
“For several months these two public policies have stalled any post-recession recovery in British Columbia’s restaurant industry – a recovery that has already taken hold in other provinces,” said Mark von Schellwitz, the CRFA’s vice president for Western Canada.
“The restaurant industry is the fourth-largest private-sector employer in B.C. and contributes to communities all across the province. We urge the government to stop giving British Columbians more reasons to stay home, and work with us to create a better business climate for our members and their customers.”
Nelson Bennett