A local restaurant is turning metaphorical lemons into metaphorical lemonade.
The Narrow Lounge has announced it'll be closing from Friday, April 26 to May 2 after the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) ordered them to be closed for a week or pay a $7,000 fine.
"In true Narrow style, we’re going to fight the good fight and turn this into a positive by using the week’s closure [...] for some awesome upgrades to our food and beverage program and a fresh lick of paint for your favourite Main Street speakeasy," states The Narrow and Narrow Group's David Duprey in a media release.
Business owner acknowledges employee's mistake during liquor board visit
In an interview with V.I.A., Duprey noted the infraction, which occurred in October 2023, stemmed from several issues during an undercover inspection including what Duprey characterizes as a misunderstanding at the end of the day.
"The bartender mistakenly said 'no food' 15 minutes before we were supposed to close," Duprey tells V.I.A. "The kid was mistaken."
In fact, the kitchen was open and other staff were aware of that, he explains.
As the Narrow Lounge has a food primary liquor license, the kitchen must remain open and food served while alcohol is being served.
In a "Notice of Enforcement Action" sent to the Narrow Lounge, the LCRB also noted the Narrow Lounge didn't appear to be selling enough food when compared to alcohol, had its lights low, and most patrons appeared to have liquor-type drinks, among other similar issues inspectors suggested were not proper in a restaurant.
The business went so far as to hire a lawyer to help fight the infraction. In a letter to the LCRB they stated the rules are vague around definitions of food and liquor establishments.
Duprey notes that restaurants don't decide what the patrons purchase. It's up to the customers what to order and food was always on the menu.
"I can't force them to eat," he explains.
Duprey explains the part-time bartender ended up losing his job because of the infraction and staff have since been retrained, but the LCBR insisted on moving forward with the fine-or-closure punishment, at significant expense to the independent 45-seat restaurant.
"$7,000 probably represents three months' profit for me," he says. "It's huge; it's stressful."
