The provincial government announced Thursday that diners can now bring their own bottle of wine into participating restaurants and enjoy it with their meals.
"We want to provide our restaurant industry with greater flexibility in terms of the services it can offer to its customers," Rich Coleman, minister responsible for liquor, said in a press release. "Today's change does just that - it allows customers to pair their favourite wine with their favourite restaurant."
Participation in this service by licensed restaurants is voluntary.
Patrons will be required to have the wine served in the same manner as wine selected from the menu and restaurants may charge a corkage fee for this service. Preliminary indications are the corkage fee could range from zero to $25 per bottle.
The news was met with a negative reaction from at least one local restaurant owner.
Alex Chronakis manages Minoas Taverna, the longtime Greek restaurant at 3823 Kingsway.
"I don't like it," said Chronakis. "I know it's done in Montreal, but I think it will be bad for business.
"The margins for food are so tight right now and alcohol sales are what keep you profitable. ... As of right now, I don't think we'll be volunteering for this program."
According to the province, businesses are still liable if patrons are over-served or liquor service is provided to minors.
"I have concerns about this," said Chronakis. "When we're serving somebody, we can cut them off, but if people are bringing their own wine, that becomes more difficult."
The change is supported by the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association and the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association.
"The government continues to introduce common-sense solutions such as the Bring Your Own Wine program. This gives industry the needed flexibility to get people out and dine more," said Ian Tostenson, president and chief executive officer of the British Columbia Restaurant and Food Service Association. "More business will result in positive economic impacts such as increased employment and downstream benefits to suppliers of the industry. This is a very innovative, flexible and common-sense policy."
"Restaurateurs, especially those with limited wine inventories, welcome the option of allowing their guests to bring their own wine," said Mark von Schellwitz, vice president of Western Canada for the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association. "This liquor policy change allows those restaurant guests who want to celebrate a special event by bringing a vintage bottle of wine from their own cellar to their favourite restaurant to do so."
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