Vancouver is looking to extend its drinking hours but could NIMBYism get in the way?

Vancouver is looking to extend its drinking hours at establishments across the city, and one one restaurateur says while the move would be a positive one, there’s concern that NIMBYism could present challenges.

Last month, the City of Vancouver said it was considering increasing some hours that bars and nightclubs can stay open and extending the time restaurants can serve alcohol. It noted that the city’s operating and service hours have “largely remained the same since 2004.”

“The aim is to support businesses, local economies and neighbourhood vibrancy while considering health and safety,” said the City.

It also opened up a survey to gain feedback from the public, which is available to fill out until Sunday, March 9.

The BC government requires all businesses that sell alcohol to obtain a provincial licence. While the province’s rules require liquor service to end by 4 a.m., municipal governments have the power to limit those hours further.

Cameron Bogue, owner of popular Vancouver cocktail bar and eatery Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions, told Dished that he’s in “full support” of the City’s consideration of extending liquor service and operating hours.

“But I guess there’s going to be a couple things that are going to come up… there’s going to be equality, and then there’s some challenges in executing this right,” he explained.

He noted the city’s current operating hours rules are complex.

“Even downtown, we have a few places that can stay open until 3 a.m.; there’s some locations where it’s 1 a.m. on one side of the road and 2 a.m. on the other,” he stated.

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The City of Vancouver provides further explanation of these rules.

“In Vancouver, the latest time bars, pubs and nightclubs are allowed to close depends on where they are in the city and how close they are to residential areas,” it stated online.

Currently, liquor primary businesses downtown have closing hours ranging from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., with the option to close earlier. The same goes for these businesses outside the downtown core.

Restaurants across Vancouver can serve alcohol until 1 a.m. on weeknights (Sunday to Thursday) and 2 a.m. on weekends (Friday and Saturday nights).

“From an entrepreneur, it’s just a level playing field where we can all have equal opportunity in this market,” added Bogue.

Establishments like Bogue’s are often hard to come by in the city because it’s not like a traditional club, bar, or restaurant.

His vision for Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions was to create a community gathering space.

Folks can come in for a meal and sit with friends or mingle around the bar area if they want. There’s also a large outdoor patio at the back, which provides another space for drinking, eating, and hanging out.

But to make this happen, Bogue faced many licensing challenges.

When Bogue first started, he simultaneously applied for both a Food Primary Liquor Licence, which he knew he would get relatively soon, and a Dual Licence Liquor Primary, which would be a long, laborious process.

Obtaining the liquor primary licence was a painstaking task and cost Bogue over $40,000.

After an 18-month wait, the licence was approved, meaning that Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions could stay open later and patrons would be able to stand at the bar instead of waiting for table service.

“I fought for a liquor primary licence to show the City that liquor primary is not just for a nightclub. The laws are very archaic, and most liquor primaries are nightclubs. So they get a bad rap because of [their] limited supply,” he said.

“But if we are in a free market, we should all have the ability to play on the same level playing field.”

In an updated statement to Daily Hive, the City clarified that it does not require establishments to choose between one licence type or another. Businesses can be both food and liquor primary. Moreover, there are no policies at the municipal or provincial level that limit how many licences are available for bars or restaurants. 

As for Bogue, he added that the type of nightlife experiences folks are looking for are changing.

“Now that nightclubs are dying, people aren’t going to them anymore. The numbers are drastically down… They’re going to cocktail bars.”

He added that much of the city’s problem with its “no fun” reputation is that many residents want more venues for live events or places to enjoy late-night dinner and drinks; they don’t want those establishments in their “own backyard.”

There are “challenges” that come with the city’s “NIMBY culture,” he said, citing the concerns of neighbours nearby who worry about noise and loitering, especially for establishments that are outside the downtown core.

“We fought hard for liquor primary to show that cocktail bars are cool places that are not disturbances and a place that neighbours can chill.”

What do you think about Vancouver looking to extend its last call regulations? Let us know in the comments.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correctly reflect the City’s current licencing processes. 

With files from Sarah Anderson