British Columbia earns B grade on pandemic liquor policy

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, July 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The grades are in: For the fourth time since 2015, Restaurants Canada has given every province a report card on how industry-friendly their liquor policy panorama is for bars and eating places.

In this yr’s Raise the Bar report, British Columbia’s grade jumped from a C to a B, largely because of the province implementing Restaurants Canada’s longstanding suggestion to implement a wholesale pricing regime for all liquor licensees. This was some of the impactful policy adjustments the province made to assist liquor licensees survive the pandemic and will definitely assist the long-term restoration of British Columbia’s struggling bars and eating places.

“After implementing major liquor policy changes recommended by the province’s Business Technical Advisory Panel, British Columbia has been able to significantly improve its ranking since our 2019 report,” mentioned Mark von Schellwitz, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Western Canada. “While Alberta still ranks highest for favourable liquor policy conditions, British Columbia has a fair shot at catching up if the province continues to cut red tape and reduce costs for licensed establishments. Bars and restaurants want a better process for ordering non-stocked specialty liquor products, a return of the liquor server wage, and the ability to purchase liquor products directly from other licensees.”

Here’s how British Columbia’s efficiency report on Restaurants Canada’s Raise the Bar report compares with the remainder of the provinces:

How can British Columbia increase the bar?

Restaurants Canada is continuous to work with the B.C. authorities to enhance the liquor policy panorama for bars and eating places. Here’s how the province can enhance its grade by the subsequent Raise the Bar report:

• Continue to chop purple tape and cut back prices for licensed institutions;
• Re-introduce a liquor server wage;
• Improve the method for ordering non-stocked liquor merchandise; and
• Permit licensee-to-licensee liquor gross sales.

Visit restaurantscanada.org/sources/raise-the-bar-2022 to obtain the complete report and be part of within the on-line dialog with the hashtag #RaiseTheBar2022.

About Restaurants Canada

Restaurants Canada is a nationwide, not-for-profit affiliation advancing the potential of Canada’s various and dynamic foodservice {industry} by means of member applications, analysis, advocacy, sources and occasions. Before the COVID-19 disaster, British Columbia’s $15 billion restaurant {industry} was the province’s third-largest supply of personal sector jobs, sometimes using not less than 190,000 individuals. British Columbia’s bars and eating places are nonetheless struggling to rebound from not less than $6 billion in misplaced income and get well roughly 20,000 jobs within the wake of the pandemic.

• Raise the Bar 2022: Report Card on Provincial Liquor Policies for Bars and Restaurants