B.C. restaurants no longer need lounge to serve booze without food

Restaurants in B.C. no longer need a separate lounge area to serve customers alcohol without a meal, John Yap, parliamentary secretary for liquor reform announced Tuesday.

Until now, restaurants with a "food-primary" liquor license were required to have a physically separated area area for patrons who only wanted booze, without food. Now those customers can sit anywhere, and have a cocktail.

"The intent is still for food-primary restaurants to still be primarily offering food," said Yap.

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"These kind of rule changes make it easier for us to run the business," said Mark Roberts, owner of Luke's Corner Bar and Kitchen, where Yap made the announcement.

Ian Tostenson of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association applauded the move, saying it "cuts the amount of time an operator has to deal with government," and makes more sense for consumers.

"When you walk into a restaurant in British Columbia, you don`t expect to be put in certain areas to do certain things."

The change is part of the government's ongoing liquor policy review, and is effective immediately.