A Richmond hotpot restaurant has applied to the City of Richmond to extend its hours to serve alcohol late into the night.
Hai Di Lao is asking to increase their liquor service hours from midnight to 2 a.m.
The hotpot restaurant is currently open and served food until 5 a.m. every day. They said extending the alcohol service would give more flexibility and a more equal playing field with other food venues, according to a city staff report.
Hai Di Lao's request will be discussed at Richmond's general purposes committee meeting on Sept. 16.
Meanwhile, another Richmond restaurant was recently approved to extend its liquor service hours late into the night.
Kung Fu Noodle at Parker Place mall, on No. 3 between Browngate and Leslie roads, submitted a request to the City of Richmond to extend its alcohol service from midnight to 2 a.m.
The restaurant said later service hours will help "better serve their clients and the community" by allowing their customers to have alcohol with their late-night meals.
"Many customers do not come to this restaurant until late evening after finishing work," wrote Yanqin Lu in a letter of intent to the city.
Approving a later liquor service will also help the business in an area where other food establishments already have later liquor service hours, according to a city staff report.
"I don't feel the need or at least we haven't heard from the public (about) the need for this," said Coun. Michael Wolfe at this week's council meeting.
"They can be open until 2 a.m. but I don't really see the demand that we just rubber stamp anyone who wants to sell liquor later in the night."
Councillors approved the liquor service extension with Coun. Michael Wolfe voting against it at last week's city council meeting.
There has been an increasing trend in Richmond restaurants asking for later alcohol service hours, including four in 2023.
However, not all applications are being approved, especially karaoke bars and nightclubs.
A request this summer from local karaoke business owners to extend their hours was rejected by city council after city staff raised safety concerns.
A group of Richmond karaoke bars and nightclub owners, including Zodiac Karaoke and Pub, No. 88 Music Restaurant, Trues' Club and Millennium Karaoke, asked the city to extend their operating hours from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., to compete with Vancouver businesses.
The extension of hours would have "a broader geographical impact and increased likelihood of neighbourhood conflict" from issues such as gender-based violence, public health harms from intoxication and other types of late-night disorder, read a report dated May 14.
"Given the high number of community safety-related issues found in the recent past during their preliminary research and case study, staff do not recommend extending the hours of operation or liquor service for karaoke and night clubs," concluded the report.
- with files from Vikki Hui
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