Champagne while you shop? B.C. businesses can soon apply for liquor licences

Starting early next year, all B.C. businesses will have the chance to apply for a liquor licence.

This means you could be purchasing a glass of champagne at your nail salon or a scotch at your barber shop.

The only businesses that will be exempt from being able to apply will be those who operate from a motor vehicle or those that target minors.

The B.C. Government says this new policy will allow businesses like barber shops, salons, spas, cooking schools, art galleries and book stores to expand and offer new services for their patrons, while creating new opportunities for manufacturers such as craft breweries and wineries to sell their product.

“One of government’s goals is to ensure that doing business in B.C. is easy and exciting,” said Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction and Minister Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch, in a release. “Creating new liquor licence and permit options for businesses is part of our ongoing effort to remove operating obstacles for businesses, create ease of access for consumers, and still maintain B.C.’s health and safety standards.”

WATCH: The B.C. government opens the door for more businesses to serve alcohol. As Keith Baldrey reports, that means your drinking options are being expanded well beyond bars and restaurants.

2:31 A beer at the barber’s or bookstore? New booze rules announced for B.C.

Just like bars and restaurants, businesses will have to go through the same licensing processes as other establishments, including that all staff serving liquor are ‘Serving-It-Right’ certified. The requirement that businesses applying for a liquor primary licence must also abide by their local government’s or First Nations’ liquor licensing criteria will remain unchanged.

“We have been waiting for this change since we opened in 2011,” said Matthew Conrad, owner and barber, Victory Barber & Brand. “The simple act of serving spirits or a local craft beer with our services will be an added luxury for our clientele. But what is truly exciting, is it allows businesses like mine to break out of the restrictive mould of the commonly expected business model. We can now try something different and new. We can now join the ranks of similar businesses around the world that have long had this kind of added service as an option.”

Businesses will be able to apply for this new licence after Jan. 23, 2017.