Bigger Footprint Allowed For Food And Liquor Establishments In Williams Lake And Quesnel

Quesnel and Williams Lake restaurants, pubs, and breweries may if they wish temporarily expand their service area footprint.

Earlier this week, both City Councils gave these businesses the approval to apply online for the new temporary expanded service area authorization issued by the Liquor Control and Regulation Branch.

Beth Veenkamp, Williams Lake Economic Development Officer, explains.

“What the Council’s decision means is that when the applicant goes on to the Liquor Control Branch portal they can just click that they have a blanket approval from the municipality and so that will just help them expedite getting that piece of paper checked off from the Liquor Control Branch”.

Even though it’s only been a few days since Council’s approval, we asked the Economic Development Officer in Williams Lake, Beth Veenkamp, if any interest has been shown.

“We’ve reached out to all of the liquor primary businesses in town and to most of the restaurants and we told them that is an option for them and so they’re considering it”. Veenkamp said. “It’s not something that we think we’re going to see a lot of but we do want to get the message out that here at the City we’re going to do what we can to support businesses in getting back to business and meeting their occupancy loads”.

Veenkamp said there is no deadline to apply for the Liquor Control and Regulation Branch temporary expanded service area authorization but it will end October 31st 2020.