Restaurants, pubs safer than homes for watching Super Bowl, says industry group

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Restaurant and bar owners currently prepping for Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7) are hoping B.C.’s top doctor doesn’t pull a fast one on them with restrictions again like she did a day before New Year’s Eve.

Jeff Guignard, the executive director of the B.C. Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC), says communications with Dr. Bonnie Henry have improved since she imposed a last-minute order to temporarily halt liquor sales at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31.

“We’re working pretty closely with the Provincial Health Officer,” he says. “We’ve been asking them for weeks now if they have any concerns. We can’t have another surprise last-minute like that happened on New Year’s Eve. If you don’t give industry time to adapt, we spend time prepping ingredients, ordering the wrong things in, right? My real concern, though, is that people are going to choose to have parties at home.”

He admits members won’t be enforcing Henry’s directives for people to only venture out with members of their immediate household, but he expects everyone to stick to groups under six and be well-behaved.

“It’s not up to the bar, or restaurant, or pub to make any determination about who you choose to go out with. That’s on you. Dr. Henry’s been clear she’s not ordering you, but she’s strongly suggested, if you choose to go out, you should only go out with your safe group of people and from your own household.”

Guignard also cautions, if you’re hoping to watch the Kansas City Chiefs battle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at a bar, pub, or restaurant this year, be prepared for some big changes aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“This is not a traditional Super Bowl. You can not have parties at home or in pubs and bars. We’re not going to be hosting traditional parties. We’ll have to keep the volume down on the television, right? It has to be below the volume of normal conversation. If you choose to go out, you should only be going out with your own household. We’re going to make sure that your groups are no more than six.”


He says some members of ABLE BC are worried Henry could still impose last-minute restrictions to Super Bowl Sunday. But he points out the main difference between New Year’s Eve and this event is the fact the game starts when it’s still light outside.

“Dr. Henry’s concern seems to be that later in the evening after people have had a few drinks, they kind of forget about public health protocols. But because this happens during the day and during the evening, people are home by eight o’clock, so I don’t anticipate any needs to change public health protocols.”

Guignard also tells NEWS 1130 Super Bowl Sunday is usually the industry’s second-busiest day with the first being St. Patrick’s Day.

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