As the BC Liquor strike stretches into its seventh week, Restaurants Canada says the province’s foodservice industry is running out of time — and inventory. The organization is urging the BC government and the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) to reach an agreement immediately or allow restaurants and bars to buy liquor from private retailers.
In a statement earlier this month, Restaurants Canada warned that many businesses were already facing empty shelves as picket lines disrupted BC Liquor Store operations. The current system allows restaurants to buy only three items per SKU per day from open BC Liquor stores — an approach the group calls “untenable,” as locations continue to close sporadically due to picketing.
A new survey of Restaurants Canada members shows 78 per cent of BC bars and restaurants are worried about their survival, with 67 per cent reporting moderate to severe sales declines. Nearly a third (29 per cent) have reduced staff hours, 6 per cent have issued layoffs, and another 41 per cent say cuts are imminent if the strike continues.
Alcohol sales are critical to many small independent businesses, especially with 41 per cent of restaurants already operating at a loss or breaking even. Restaurants Canada warns that restricting their ability to serve alcohol, while consumers can still purchase it for home use, could push many to the brink of closure — threatening jobs for the 183,000 British Columbians employed in the sector.
“If the government can’t find a solution, it needs to consider back-to-work legislation,” said Mark von Schellwitz, Vice-President for Western Canada. “This labour dispute has reached untenable proportions, and foodservice businesses can’t continue to shoulder the burden.”
Restaurants Canada continues to call for temporary measures that would allow bars and restaurants to source alcohol directly from private liquor stores and third-party warehouses until the strike is resolved.
Here in Golden, the ripple effects are being felt by local restaurants and pubs that rely on BC Liquor for their wine, beer, and spirits orders. Many have already reported challenges keeping certain products in stock, forcing them to adjust menus or reduce offerings. With tourism still strong through fall and winter, Golden’s hospitality operators are hoping for a quick resolution before the situation cuts deeper into their busiest dining season — and their bottom line.
