Lineups return to downtown Vancouver as bars reopen with coronavirus precautions

Downtown Vancouver looked a little closer to its pre-pandemic self Saturday night, as lineups of people waiting to get into popular bars bulged from doorways, and friends settled around patio tables to share late-night boxes of pizza.

Many of Granville Street’s nightclubs remain shuttered, and the nightlife scene is nowhere near where it usually is on a weekend in June. But several bars and lounges are taking advantage of reduced restrictions to welcome people back for a drink while seated with their friend groups.

Just after midnight, a couple dozen people waited in a line snaking around the corner for a table inside the Hotel Belmont at Nelson and Granville.

The hotel’s Living Room restaurant and bar reopened in May with new rules adhering to public health guidelines, which include not allowing any groups larger than six people, and asking guests to stay at their tables as much as possible.

A Belmont spokesperson told Daily Hive they have stickers on the sidewalk to help people physically distance while waiting, and security staff help manage the line too.

Megan Devlin/Daily Hive

Down the street in Yaletown, a line of people also waited to get into Ombre Social House, which reopened this weekend, with a DJ starting at 9 pm. Instagram stories from inside the lounge showed people dancing and ordering drinks at the bar, similar to a normal night.

Daily Hive reached out to Ombre Social House asking what coronavirus precautions it had in place, but did not hear back. According to the current health order from Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, food and liquor businesses are supposed to ensure customers can remain two metres apart while inside, and should put up signage helping them figure out where to stand.

“You must assess your premises for places where patrons may congregate or stand in line, and in those places, you must use physical devices, install markers or use other methods to guide and assist patrons in maintaining a distance of two metres from one another,” the health order states.

More nightlife spots are planning to reopen this month, including Granville Street’s Studio nightclub. According to a Facebook post from the business, its first night back on June 20 will have reduced capacity and be limited to bottle service only. Daily Hive has reached out to Studio for more information on the opening.