SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife restaurant and bar owner was fined $1,300 last week after he was caught having a drink on the job and serving booze after hours.
Ed But, owner of Coyote's Bar and Grill, received the fines at a NWT Liquor Licensing Board compliance hearing held Feb. 12.
The infraction notices were served after two liquor inspectors dropped by Coyote's on Nov. 29. Inspector Steven Bard, who had just become an inspector that month, testified that he was able to order two beers after 2 a.m. Bard stated that after being served one of the beers, just after last call, the bartender told him "the night is still young." Bard said he poured the beers out in the washroom after he bought them.
Bard also testified that a woman carried four shooters away from the bar and back to her table. But's liquor licence stipulates that a patron can only be served two drinks at a time.
But pleaded guilty to those two infractions, but contested a third. He admitted to drinking a shooter that night but it was after his shift had ended at about 2:15 a.m. But said he was only tending bar because the regular bartender was ill.
In licensed establishments in the NWT, only the entertainment is allowed to consume alcohol while working.
"My shift was done. They poured the last drink," said But. "(Some customers) called me over and said, 'Ed let's do a shot.' I walked over and did a shot. But because it's my bar, I'm the owner, even though I'm off shift they're stipulating the responsibility is there regardless. Even though I'm off shift I can't have anything when we're open."
But was fined $300 for allowing a patron to be served more than two drinks, and $500 each for selling alcohol after 2 a.m. and drinking while he was presumably still working.
At another compliance hearing on Friday, Bullock's Bistro in Old Town was fined $750 for having three patrons more than its 35-limit allows. Lawyer Garth Wallbridge represented Bullock's and said staff didn't realize they were included in the number of people allowed in the restaurant. The hearing heard that Bullock's has since removed three chairs from the dining room in an effort to keep this from happening again. It was not Bullock's first over-capacity violation. The restaurant was fined for a similar infraction in 2013 as well as for allowing liquor to be removed from the premises.
Another compliance hearing for Harley's Hard Rock Saloon was rescheduled to an unspecified date.
In an interview following the hearing, But complained some of the liquor licensing rules are archaic, particularly when it comes to rules for advertising.
"The liquor laws are behind here," said But. "The liquor laws are there to protect the community but some of the laws that they have regarding advertising of alcohol, the fact that we can't shows pictures of people having fun or drinking on our social media sites or our website are behind the times compared to what they allow down south.
Indeed, Northerners routinely view alcohol advertising on their televisions but these ads come from down south. But questions why that is allowed but not local advertising.
"We can't advertise our prices or drink specials, stuff like that, which is unfortunate," said But. "That's part of our business."
