New Vancouver bylaw stipulates food must account for at least 50% of a restaurant's total bills
This is a terribly thought out bylaw that doesn’t solve what it’s out to do and only serves to frustrate consumers.
According to the article,
The underlying problem is that it is incredibly difficult in Vancouver to get a licence to operate a bar or pub. So there are a few owners who decide to skip the formalities and just open a restaurant, but operate it as a bar.
In other words, they’re trying to solve one problem by introducing a pointless new law based on arbitrary metrics to solve one problem, meanwhile artificially limiting consumers’ options for no good reason. Why shouldn’t someone be allowed to go to a restaurant, order $10 worth of appetizers, and enjoy a $15 bottle of wine or beer? Why is it the municipal government’s job to dictate this? If they wanted to stop business owners attempting to run a bar under the guise of a restaurant, then perhaps they should investigate the root cause and fix that system instead.
(Article via The Globe and Mail)
