The zoning laws, adopted nearly 30 years ago, prohibit bars and
restaurants from serving alcohol unless the customer also orders food,
and also restrict business hours and live entertainment. Only two
businesses—Freeman’s Little New York and the Seasons Bistro and Wine
Bar in the Atlantica Hotel—are exempt from the restrictions, because
those businesses were grandfathered into the 1980s-era zoning laws.
The Nail & Kneecap Pub and Quincy’s Restaurant, now both closed,
had applied for lounge licences in 2006. The Nail & Kneecap closed
before the matter was resolved, but Quincy’s was successful, and that
licence has been inherited by Athens Restaurant, which moved into the
space earlier this year.
Now, Mezza and Rock Island Café are preparing to apply for
lounge licences.
The Quinpool Road Business Association is helping both restaurants
navigate the complexities of zoning and liquor laws, says general
manager Karla Nicholson. “Our businesses should be able to compete with
other restaurants in the downtown core who can offer their customers a
glass of wine or invite them to listen to some music with a drink after
dinner,” she says.” We are not looking to expand our business hours but
we would like to be able to expand the level of service we are able to
give to our customers.”
The general opinion is that the entire area needs to be re-zoned to
allow lounge licences, so that merchants don’t have to individually
jump through the bureaucrat hoops.
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2009.