Business down ‘dramatically’as drivers fear going over limit
By KIM PEMBERTON, Vancouver Sun
Bar patrons are drinking less, or not at all.
Drinking establishments are reporting business is down “dramatically” — anywhere from 10 to 40 per cent since British Columbia’s tougher anti-drinking laws went into effect last week.
The general feeling is “people are being very cautious,” fearing if they go over the .05 per cent blood alcohol level they risk having their car impounded, said Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Association.
“People are scared. They don’t know what it takes for them to reach .05, so while they might go out they won’t drink or certainly not as much. It’s impacting restaurants in terms of sales,” said Tostenson, adding that how much revenue is down as a result of the new law won’t be known for another month.
To try to deal with a drop in business, some pubs and restaurants are either offering a shuttle service or considering it.
Woody’s on Brunette Pub in Coquitlam is considering a pilot project to provide a shuttle service after seeing business drop 10 per cent in the first week, said owner Gordon Cartwright.
“It’s definitely impacted our business. We’ve noticed a slowdown in our day business and after work business [as a result of the new anti-drinking laws],” he said.
“The public is just trying to figure out how much they can drink without worrying about it — knowing their limits.”
At Fox’s Reach Pub and Grill, owner Todd Arbuthnot said he plans to buy two vans for his pubs in Ladner and Maple Ridge to drive people home after they have been drinking.
“It’s especially needed in Maple Ridge because there isn’t much housing there so we don’t get walk-in traffic. People are having to drive 15 to 20 minutes home. It’s frustrating because no one knows where they stand. It seems everyone knows a friend who had their licence suspended after two beers,” he said.
Arbuthnot said he noticed a “dramatic” drop in alcohol consumption of about 30 per cent a day since the new law took effect.
“People aren’t ordering [alcohol] any more. They won’t take the chance because in Maple Ridge everyone needs to be able to drive to work or to get their kids to school.”
Attorney-General Mike de Jong said the threshold of .05 has been in place for more than three decades — it’s the penalties that have changed.
New penalties start with a three-day driving ban and $200 fine for anyone caught with a blood alcohol concentration of more than .05 — up from the previous 24-hour suspension.
Those who blow more than .08 face a 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device — regardless of criminal charges that may be laid.
Repeat offenders can expect heavier fines and longer suspensions.
“Two weeks ago, if you drove a car after drinking and had an alcohol level over .05, you could be issued a temporary suspension. What’s new is the seriousness of the penalty, no doubt about it,” said de Jong.
The attorney-general added that “it’s clear that people are talking about this. The potential loss of your vehicle and loss of your licence has registered with the public — and that is what was intended. Too many people have been getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming too much alcohol.”
In Port Moody at the Golden Spike Pub, managerial partner Cheryl Semenuik said she especially noticed the decline on week nights when sports teams stopped coming in for a drink after their games and the after work crowd stopped coming as well.
“It’s been rough across the board in the industry. We’ve seen our liquor consumption down 30 to 40 per cent,” she said.
“It’s a big cut. People are scared. Everyone has a story. We heard of one neighbourhood pub where 22 people were arrested on a weekend right after closing. A guy in our sports pool said his secretary had one glass of wine with a salad at lunch and she got pulled over after doing a U-turn. They made her blow and she lost her car [for a three-day impoundment].”
She said at her pub she’s noticed the parking lot is now two-thirds full first thing in the morning because patrons are opting to go home by taxi and pick up their vehicles later.
And while the Golden Spike Pub always offers a shuttle service on New Year’s Eve, they too are considering purchasing a full-time shuttle van to try to encourage patrons to start drinking more again.
At the St. James’s Well in Port Moody, general manager Mike Read said while he hasn’t noticed a dramatic drop in business, because most of their regular patrons live within walking distance, he has a 20 per cent drop in “people just popping in for one or two after work.”
“I might have had one beer after work myself but even I won’t do that any more because I don’t know where I sit in terms of 0.5 per cent,” he said.
Read said while he appreciates the new law makes people think more about how much alcohol they’ve consumed before driving, he called it “a little draconian.”
“It’s almost saying zero tolerance,” he said. “There’s a perception that there’s a certain percentage of people who will be over 0.5 per cent with a single drink.”
Shark Club, in downtown Vancouver, hasn’t seen a decrease in business because their patrons are generally coming in after a game downtown.
Assistant general manager Christine Cairns said they’ve already made arrangements to get home safely after driving or taking the SkyTrain, which is nearby their restaurant.
“There’s a lot of buzz in the industry and it’s something to be aware of that one drink could put you over the limit if you’re not eating. “We’re a full service restaurant so the majority of people are having a good meal,” she said.
Her concern is the province has to continue SkyTrain service after 1 a.m. considering most places serving liquor in downtown Vancouver stay open until 2 a.m. and on Granville until 3 a.m.
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