The Riverstone Bar and Grill will not reopen after it has finished serving a 12-day suspension for violating a provincial liquor regulation, the pub's minority owner Brock Gable said Friday.
"It's closed permanently as of now," Gable said.
It's the second time this year the establishment has been slapped with a closure and Gable said inspectors have made it impossible to run a business like the Riverstone, particularly following introduction of automatic three-day suspensions for drivers caught with a blood-alcohol level over .05.
"It knocked quite a chunk out of our revenue," Gable said of the regulation, which came into effect about a year ago. "And fair enough, I'm a big supporter of getting drinking drivers off the road as well as anyone else, so I'm not arguing the law, I'm just saying it hurt us.
"So then on top of that, you've got this bizarre regulatory climate with liquor inspectors that have no grey area, it's simply black and white. There's no interpretation, it's the most ridiculous things they're on about so you're in effect in a no-win situation."
The most recent suspension, which began Thursday and will last until Sept. 19, was issued for permitting an intoxicated person to remain in their establishment . The Riverstone was also fined $2,000 for allowing liquor to be removed from the establishment.
Both infractions occurred on May 26, the day before it was to serve a four-day closure for permitting an intoxicated person to remain in their Riverstone on Dec. 11.
"A 12 day suspension falls within the range set out in the regulations for a second contravention of this type within the previous 12 months," liquor control and licensing branch spokeswoman Cindy Stephenson said, and added the licensee signed a waiver agreeing to the penalty and the matter did not go to a hearing.
Gable said the issue was not pursued because "it's a kangaroo court."
The latest suspension was the result of a customer passing out in the bathroom and that the ambulance was called immediately, according to Gable, who added it was not clear if it was due to drugs or alcohol.
He said waiters face a balancing act between refusing to serve an entire table because one person is drunk and losing tips.
"And in fact, we don't like to do that because we don't like to chase our customers away because the customers are getting harder and harder to find," Gable said.
Gable said the pub was operated in a partnership with the building's owners.
"I'm a minority and they're the majority owners and this was their decision to do this," he said but emphasized the decision was made because the laws and regulations as they're written "are not workable."
He said the closure means the loss of significant tax revenue and 35 jobs. The liquor licence, meanwhile, will be put into "dormancy for now, and we'll see from here.'
