Newfoundland and Labrador provides a lifeline to bars and restaurants with liquor policy changes

Published May 1, 2020

Restaurants Canada applauds the introduction of a wholesale liquor pricing discount and other critically needed liquor policy changes to help bars and restaurants recover from COVID-19.

ST. JOHN’S — Restaurants Canada applauds the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for helping bars and restaurants survive the COVID-19 crisis with a wholesale liquor pricing discount and other critically needed liquor policy changes.

“On behalf of all licensed establishments, I want to thank Premier Ball and Minister Osborne for stepping up and throwing a lifeline to these mostly small businesses,” said Luc Erjavec, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Atlantic Canada. “While physical distancing measures have been necessary to protect the health and safety of Newfoundlanders, they don’t want to see their favourite bars and restaurants disappear as a result.”

A number of the liquor policy changes announced today respond to longstanding asks from Restaurants Canada, which were listed in the national association’s 2019 Raise the Bar report: Most notably, the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) has been approved to provide licensees with a 5 per cent discount on wines, spirits and ready-to-drink beverages.

Licensed establishments will also benefit from the following liquor policy changes announced today:

  • Effective immediately, liquor license fees will be waived for the 2020-21 fiscal year, and any fees already paid will be refunded.
  • Legislation will be brought forward to allow for the temporary direct sale of alcohol to customers by restaurants and other licensed establishments that sell prepared meals for takeout/curbside pick-up and delivery.
  • The NLC will work with the licensee community to return general list product in an effort to help with working capital.
  • The NLC is also temporarily waiving warehousing service fees for microbrewers with annual production of 1,000 hectoliters or less for those who use the NLC’s distribution network.
  • Government has approved an increase in product commission discounts for craft breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries producing 1,000 hectoliters or less to 55 per cent for non-NLC distributed products.
  • Government has also approved a temporary regulatory change to permit ferment-on premise operations (U-Brew) to bottle beverages for their customers, for those that started batches of wine or beer prior to the COVID-19 health restrictions.
  • The NLC will further support businesses through its distribution and marketing capabilities by listing products of local microbreweries not already supported in this way.

About Restaurants Canada

Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing the potential of Canada’s diverse and dynamic foodservice industry through member programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Newfoundland and Labrador’s foodservice sector was a $1.1 billion industry, directly employing nearly 17,000 people, providing the province’s number one source of first jobs and serving tens of thousands of customers every day. Newfoundland and Labrador’s foodservice industry has now lost more than 10,000 jobs and is on track to lose at least $200 million in sales over the second quarter of 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Luc Erjavec
Vice President, Atlantic Canada
Restaurants Canada
C: 902-209-0804
Toll-free: 1-800-387-5649 ext. 5000
lerjavec@restaurantscanada.org

Restaurants Canada Digital

Nam dapibus nisl vitae elit fringilla rutrum. Aenean sollicitudin, erat a elementum rutrum, neque sem pretium metus, quis mollis nisl nunc et massa. Vestibulum sed metus in lorem tristique ullamcorper id vitae erat.

More from Restaurants Canada Digital
Wholesale Club