Sapperton's newest restaurant will be able to serve liquor a little later.
Browns Social House, which opened in the Brewery District development on May 21, sought the city's support to extend its hours of liquor service from midnight to 1 a.m. seven days a week. The Sapperton location is one of 11 Browns Social House franchises, which aim to be a "hybrid" of upscale casual dining and a neighbourhood pub.
"The owners advise the extension would allow them to accommodate clientele that prefer late night dining," stated a staff report to council. "They state they are hoping to draw shift workers from the nearby Royal Columbian Hospital, as well as visitors to the hospital that may require later meals."
In addition, the applicant wants to be competitive with restaurants offering liquor service until 1 a.m. on certain nights of the week, including White Spot, The Pantry Family Restaurant, Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti and Go Thai.
Coun. Betty McIntosh said she thought council would "move cautiously" with the request, especially since the business is new.
"I thought maybe we could get through three months operation and see how it is working," she said.
McIntosh noted that an Alberta Street resident wrote to the city expressing concerns about the extended hour as it's close to residential homes and could cause traffic and noise issues. (A Minor Street resident wrote to the city in support of the request.)
Keith Coueffin, the city's manager of licensing and integrated services, said the city doesn't have the option to defer the request and must respond within 90 days.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr opposed the request, saying the extended hours aren't fair to established businesses in the area.
"I believe that is too much, too soon for that Sapperton area," he said of the extended hours.
McIntosh and Puchmayr opposed the resolution to approve the application from Browns Social House to extend its hours of liquor services to 1 a.m., but the remainder of council supported the application.
Coun. Lorrie Williams said she is delighted to have more offerings in Sapperton, adding that different people go to different place for different reasons. She said people stay up later in summer so she can understand why the business would want extended hours at this time.
Coun. Jonathan Cote said the Brewery District is "bringing new life to that part of town" and was pleased to see the patio at Browns Social House filled with people when he recently passed by. Although the business is new to New Westminster, he said Browns has been operating for years in other municipalities.
