Several Quebec restaurateurs have adopted the initiative launched by the owner of Joe Beef who invited them to civil disobedience in order to incite the government of François Legault to modify the regulations for alcohol permits.
Launching the #ouvertnoscaves movement, the establishment turned to its Facebook page to encourage its colleagues in the province to sell “a bottle of wine without being accompanied by a dish”.
“An act of civil disobedience in the hope of demonstrating our discouragement in the face of the mediocre renunciation of the Legault government to modify the reforms of our alcohol licenses in the current circumstances”, we can also read.
Quebec restaurateurs are also encouraged to post a photo of the act of civil disobedience on social media using the hashtag #ouvertnoscaves. The initial post was shared more than a hundred times during the day.
It didn’t take much for other establishments to join the movement. This is particularly the case of the restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, which said it “formally supports the initiative of its good friends and fellow restaurateurs behind the Joe Beef Group – Liverpool House by asking its community to encourage all restaurant owners in the area. province of Quebec to buy a bottle of wine, without being accompanied by a dish, an act of civil disobedience in the hope of demonstrating our discouragement in the face of the Legault government renouncing to modify the reforms of our alcohol permits (in the current and temporary circumstances) ”.
On the page of the Pub Pit Caribou Montreal, we could read: “It is high time Mr. François Legault to let the restaurants and bars of Quebec breathe a little while reviewing the archaic laws on alcohol permits. And when we say breathe, we should say in some cases: run away! “
We can also mention Olive and Gourmando, Denise, Saint-Sushi Plateau or the Taverne Monkland.
“We have been in business for 25 years,” we could read on the Taverne’s Facebook page. We have supported the Quebec economy by purchasing our products from our talented local producers and winegrowers. We are proud of our beautiful province. All we ask is a chance to fight for our survival until the end of this crisis. Let’s change these archaic laws, like our neighbors in Ontario, which govern the sale of alcohol, and come out of this pandemic stronger and wiser. ”
Similar messages were shared across the province, in Gaspé, Quebec, Blainville, Saguenay and Repentigny.
As a reminder, restaurant owners are asking the government to change the rules surrounding the delivery of alcohol to help them increase their income.
The closure of dining rooms in restaurants in the red zone, imposed by Prime Minister François Legault due to the COVID-19 pandemic is hurting the industry.
Restaurants have to turn to selling take-out or delivery, which deprives them of the revenue generated by the sale of alcohol, which accounts for a large part of their turnover.
Penalties and fines
The government responded in the evening to this case. “A restaurateur who does not comply with the law is subject to penalties and even fines.” The position of the [ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS)] on this subject is very clear and its objective is to limit the impacts of COVID-19 in order to protect the most vulnerable people and to avoid overloading the care system ”, indicated by email Marie-Louise Harvey, spokesperson. word of the MSSS, referring the QMI Agency to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ).
For its part, the RACJ indicated that after receiving a police report, “the RACJ could summon the holder before the managers. The latter have different alternatives: non-intervention, suspension of the alcohol license, administrative monetary penalty or revocation of the license, ”explained Joyce Tremblay, lawyer for the RACJ.
Mme Tremblay recalled that Bill 72, under consideration in the National Assembly, provides for relaxation of the requirements imposed on restaurateurs. In particular, it is proposed to allow the delivery of alcoholic beverages by a third party such as Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes and the requirement of the word “meal” could be replaced by “food”.
Drinks sold for delivery or take-out could also be priced differently than on the menu, and restaurant permit holders would no longer be required to serve a meal for the consumption of a glass and wine. , notably recalled Mrs. Tremblay when speaking about the bill.
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