Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Local News

Delta brewery hoping to convert its temporary outdoor seating

Council agreed with a staff recommendation that the application does not need to go to a public hearing
Sandor Gyarmati
Sandor Gyarmati
patios in delta beer
The province’s existing Temporary Expanded Service Area policy has been extended but Barnside Brewing Co. has applied to convert its temporary outdoor patio area into a permanent structure. ColiNoob/Pixabay

Delta council, at its April 11 meeting, endorsed an application by Barnside Brewing Co. to allow the business’s existing Temporary Expanded Service Area (TESA) to be converted into a permanent outdoor lounge.

The temporary tents located at the front of the brewery would be converted into a covered seating area to provide better seating and service quality.

Council also endorsed an application by the 60th Avenue brewery, located in a rural area of Ladner, to expand its liquor service hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, to 9 a.m. to midnight each day.

Submitted to the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Branch (LCRB), the application for expanded hours is to accommodate special events, but any live music would end at 7:30 p.m.

Delta Police conveyed that it has no objection to the application, which will not go to a public hearing.

The application for the outdoor lounge has been forwarded to the Agricultural Land Commission where approval is also required.

The B.C. government recently announced it has extended its TESA policy until the end of March 2023.

The expedited approval processes and relaxed restrictions were originally introduced to help bars and restaurants and other similar businesses stay viable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delta council previously endorsed allowing the pre-approval of TESA applications to the LCRB.

The province says it approved patio spaces at more than 2,000 establishments during the pandemic using TESA authorizations, which were free and easy to apply for online.

Businesses wishing to make their TESA permanent must apply through the LCRB licensing portal for a new outdoor patio permanent structural change for outdoor TESAs, or a new interior service permanent structural change for indoor TESAs.

Mayor George Harvie last month sent a letter to Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General Mike Farnworth requesting that the online process for a TESA be extended indefinitely to ensure the survival of struggling food and beverage establishments.

Council last month also agreed to put staff-proposed patio program changes on hold.