With business booming, this summer the Cask and Cleaver in 100 Mile took steps to increase their operational capacity with a new patio.
Owners Neale Ward and Daniel Braaten spent the spring securing permission from the District of 100 Mile House to construct the new patio, which was built in May to the tune of $24,000. Ward said the patio is ready to use, as he awaited an amendment of the Cask and Cleaver's liquor license by the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).
While he said the LCRB told him in early June they have a six-month-long backlog, meaning the new patio could have sat vacant for the entire summer, he received news this week that the amendment had been approved. This welcome surprise came after concerns around the delay led Ward to reach out to the simplymastery. In turn, the Free Press reached out to the LCRB last week for comment.
But his concerns were happily turned to relief on Monday, June 16, when Ward said he was told the Cask and Cleaver's permit was pushed through for approval.
"Over the last couple of weeks, since we found out this project was not expected to be approved by the province until sometime in the fall, I reached out to a number of our MPs and our MLA, Lorne Doerkson. I also reached out to the BC Craft Brewers Guild and notified them of the situation," Ward said. "I emphasized how we did everything as prescribed and did not understand how this simple application could not be processed quickly.
"Now here we are this Monday morning, where I received an email from the LCRB with confirmation that the application had been approved."
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said the LCRB acknowledges processing time for patio and structure change applications can be lengthy, especially during the peak season. The spokesperson said that, as the LCRB states on its website, processing time for such changes can take up to 10 months to complete.
"Timelines vary based on the complexity of the proposal, applicant responsiveness, and required input from local governments or Indigenous Nations," the Ministry said. "Additional factors such as proposed changes to entertainment, hours, or capacity can further affect processing times."
Ward said he and Braaten originally applied for the expansion of their license with the LCRB back in April. Before approval, the Cask and Cleaver has a max capacity of 60 at any one time, and with the new patio, they'll be able to accommodate up to 95 people.
While Ward is happy that, pending the installation of proper signage and security cameras, his permit has been approved, he remains critical of the LCRB. He noted that in 2022, when the Cask and Cleaver applied to increase its capacity, they also faced a six-month wait for approval. In a previous interview with the simplymastery, he said the LCRB is not transparent about its process.
"It does, for me, emphasize the fact there are significant inefficiencies happening at the LCRB. If it takes less than a week for this to be brought to attention and it's able to be processed and approved so quickly, why is this just affecting us and not all the other small businesses out there that are trying to do the same things?" Ward asked. "In talking with members of the craft breweries guild, there are other liquor licensees that have experienced the same thing (like) trying to change their hours and that taking four months to be approved by LCRB."
Delays may occur, the ministry spokesperson said, due to incomplete applications that lack occupancy load stamped floor plans. The ministry did note that complete applications are prioritized by the system.
While the ministry did not directly address Ward's assertion that they have a six-month backlog, they did state they have made upgrades to the licensing portal, which offers applicants "clearer status updates", including the status of consultation with local government and indigenous nations as well as any missing documentation.
"The LCRB is actively working to improve service delivery and is exploring broader policy changes to streamline eligibility reviews and reduce back-and-forth communication," the ministry said.
As for Ward, he said he and Braaten hope to have their new patio open by the end of June. In the meantime, he hopes that the LCRB is able to be more transparent about its process and approve simple permits in a timely manner.
"The LCRB is a tax-funded institution and there is no transparency to the average person who calls, inquires and wants to know what's going on. Hearing the same thing from them about them being behind and understaffed two years in a row, there's something bigger going on there that's not being shared," Ward asserted. "I don't think it's managed as efficiently as it could be."
