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Hours of Service (Food Primary)

On November 19, 2009, Council enacted amendments to the Licence Bylaw that implements the Hours of Liquor Service Policy for restaurants into bylaw regulation.

On October 8, 2009, Council approved a bylaw amendment establishing new regulations for Food Primary establishments. Under the new regulations, licensees may apply for a permanent amendment to their hours of liquor service, as outlined in this section.

View a video of the proceedings

Read the minutes of the meeting (37kb)

Read the staff recommendation (139kb)

» New Regulations
» Application Process

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New Regulations

Hours of liquor service

The bylaw amendment establishes the following hours of liquor service in restaurants:

• 1:00 a.m. closing time Sunday to Thursday; and
  2:00 a.m. closing time Friday and Saturday

A half-hour tolerance period, after which drinks must be removed from tables, applies.

Operators who presently have hours of liquor service which are later than the permitted hours allowed under the bylaw, will have until March 31, 2010 to comply with current regulations. Operators must operate under the new hours permitted under the bylaw and are requested to amend their liquor licence with the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB).

Brand new licences/operators will be restricted to hours of liquor service to midnight for a period of up to 6 months at the discretion of the Chief Licence Inspector.

Operating Regulations

The bylaw amendment establishes the following new operating regulations:

• During all hours of allowable liquor service, restaurants must offer the full restaurant menu to customers;
• Restaurants must have financial records, and a ratio of receipts from food sales to liquor sales, that are consistent with a restaurant use;
• Restaurants must keep financial records and receipts for at least one year, and show them to the Inspector upon request; and
• Restaurants must keep sales receipts for all sales of food and liquor for at least one year, and show them to the Inspector upon request.

Consolidated Business Licence Classifications

The bylaw amendment consolidates business licence requirements for licensed restaurants.

Licensed restaurants no longer need both a Dining Lounge and Restaurant (Class 1 or Class 2) business licence. Now, licensed restaurants only need either a Restaurant Class 1 with Liquor business licence, or, for those that offer patron participation entertainment (such as dancing and/or karaoke), a Restaurant Class 2 with Liquor business licence.

Business Licence Fees

The 2012 business licence fees for a Restaurant Class 1 or 2 with Liquor Service are as follows:

• New licence (includes $50 new application fee): $716 plus $8.40/seat
• Renewal: $666 plus $8.40/seat

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Application Process

If you are a Food Primary establishment and would like to operate under the new hours of liquor service, you will need to complete and submit an application to both the City of Vancouver and Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB).

Application Checklist

1. Complete the City of Vancouver application form (63kb) and submit to the Licence Office, along with a completed Provincial application form (1.06mb) , and the application processing fee.
   
   
2. A site sign, notifying the public of the application, must be posted in the window of the licensed establishment for 14 days. The sign must conform to size, shape and lettering indicated on the Sign Format and Sample (12kb).
   
   
3. You must provide the Licence Coordinator with two photographs of the sign, one close up, clearly indicating all the wording and the second, displaying the sign’s location on the site. Photos can be submitted by e-mail at liquor.comments@vancouver.ca, by mail or in person at the City of Vancouver’s Licence Office.
   
   
4. We will review public comments received, sign Part 16 of the LCLB permanent change application form and provide comments to the General Manager of LCLB regarding your application.
   
   
5. We will contact you when your LCLB application form has been signed and is ready to be picked up. You must submit the form to the LCLB to complete the permanent change application process. Third party operators cannot complete and sign this form.
   
   
6. The LCLB processes applications per current policy and approves or refuses applications as required. Their decision will be forwarded to you and the City of Vancouver.

We may not support your application if there are any violations documented and we have verified complaints regarding the operation of the establishment (consideration for approval may be given if the business has taken extraordinary measures to resolve the issues of the complaint).

For more information on liquor licensing, please contact the City of Vancouver's Licence Coordinator at 604.871.6461, the Assistant to the Licence Coordinator at 604.873.7954 or by email at liquor.comments@vancouver.ca.

For more information on liquor policy, please contact the City of Vancouver's Liquor Review staff at 604.871.6659 or by email at liquor.review@vancouver.ca.

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