The classic ‘shave and a haircut’ will give way to a ‘beer and a haircut’ if a Maple Ridge barber shop gets its way.
Gameday Cutz, which has operated in the Valley Fair Mall since 2014, is applying for a liquor primary licence application.
The barber shop wants to be able to serve clients a drink while they wait for a haircut, and would also have popcorn, nuts and other snacks.
The application has gone to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch. It asked for a resolution from Maple Ridge council, which offered its support for the application.
One fan is Coun. Craig Speirs, who said he was a tourist in Montreal when he needed a haircut, and visited a business called Scotch and Scissors.
“I love Montreal – they give people some freedom,” added Speirs, a retired Liquor Distribution Branch worker. “It was brilliant – it was single malt.
“I thought: This is a grown-up town,” he told his council colleagues.
In 2017 the, LCLB adopted a new policy to allow businesses outside the hospitality, entertainment or beverage service to apply for a liquor primary licence, and this is the first such application in Maple Ridge.
“We’re liable to see a number of these come to us,” added Speirs. “I think we should allow it.”
Coun. Tyler Shymkiw also spoke in favour of the application.
“The B.C. government moved for a reason to liberalize this, and give us options on this,” he said. “People are informed enough to make their own decisions on these sorts of things.”
He noted there are already salons where patrons can get a glass of wine while they wait, and he sees no problem with that.
“If you’re going to talk about the types of drinking that are really problematic, it’s not what’s going to happen at a hair salon,” said Shymkiw.
Coun. Bob Masse spoke against it.
“I don’t think this is a great step forward for mankind – that we can drink while we get a haircut,” said Masse.
The applicants sent 625 letters to owners and occupants of properties within 200 meters of their store, and received one response opposing their plan, the city staff report noted.
The Ridge Meadows RCMP has a concern with the business serving liquor.
“They note that based on an environmental scan of the area and with the calls they get to attend Valley Fair Mall at this point, they would anticipate potential additional issues should a barber shop located outside the Save On Foods have a primary liquor license,” said the report.
If approved, the barber shop will be allowed to serve liquor from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, until 6 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
If Gameday Cutz is successful in this application, it could lso apply for a liquor licence another operation on 203rd Street in Maple Ridge.