Many leery over ‘BYOW’

FORT FRANCES—Ontario restaurant owners will have the option of allowing patrons to bring store-bought bottles of wine with them beginning sometime in the new year, but some local restaurateurs are less than enthusiastic about the plan.
The “Bring Your Own Wine” program will allow consumers to bring store-bought wine into licensed restaurants.
Meanwhile, the “Take Home the Rest” program will allow consumers to take home an unfinished bottle of wine—whether they purchased it at a store or at the restaurant.
Both initiatives are voluntary, meaning restaurant owners do not have to allow patrons to bring their own wine.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a silly idea to start with,” said Achour Cheblaoui, owner of La Flambée on Scott Street here.
“I don’t know whether they realize—the government themselves—how much tax they’re losing,” he added.
The government receives tax dollars twice on a bottle of wine sold in a restaurant, he explained: once when the bottle is sold to the restaurant and again when it is sold to the customer.
More importantly, though, is the question of responsibility, Cheblaoui said.
“It’s all kind of confusing. Who’s to say how much a person can bring?” he asked. “Who’s to be responsible for their safety? As far as I’m concerned, they’re making a big mistake.
Paul Noonan, co-owner of La Place Rendez-Vous here, expressed similar concerns.
“We also anticipate some problems in terms of overserving, people leaving with open liquor. There’s a lot of different ramifications,” he noted.
Besides questions of liability, Noonan also said he is concerned about the legislation from a business angle. “We are in the business of selling wine. We want to continue to operate on that basis,” he stressed.
So far now, at least, Noonan said the Rendez-Vous would not participate in the program.
“It’s something that came down the pipes rather unexpectedly,” he noted. “We’d probably like to approach it on a wait-and-see basis and see how it proceeds across the province.
“I’m not saying we’ll never do it, but at the present time it’s not something we’re looking at proceeding with,” he added.
Cheblaoui said he is not yet sure whether or not he will allow customers to bring their own wine to La Flambée.
“I cannot say ‘no’ to people who bring their own wine because others will be accepting them,” he reasoned. “I’m sure nobody is going to say ‘no’ to business.”
Tom Reid, owner of Kettles Restaurant on Portage Avenue, admitted he hadn’t thought about it much, but said it was a good thing for customers.
“I’m for it. It’s a good idea,” he remarked.
The legislation passed last Wednesday, but will not take effect until the new year, likely in February.
Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, and New Brunswick already have similar programs in place.