A Saskatoon business owner said she is excited to be able to offer customers a “more whole experience” after the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) changed their regulations allowing licensed restaurants and bars to offer alcohol for takeout and delivery.
“If you’re ordering food and you’re stuck at home, to be able to have the drinks that you would have had if you were at the restaurant but just in the comfort of your home and the safety of your home, that’s a great thing to be able to offer people,” said Carmen Hamm, co-owner of Taste Restaurant Group.
Taste owns four restaurants in Saskatoon: Una, Bar Gusto, Picaro, and Cohen’s Beer Republic.
The province announced the change in March when they declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement released by the provincial government outlines how licensed restaurants and bars are permitted to sell alcohol for takeout and delivery indefinitely.
The delivery can only be made by a staff member who is 19 or older or by a delivery company if they have a home delivery liquor permit.
The alcohol needs to be in a closed and sealed container and the customer may be asked to show identification.
Hamm said she’s not sure if customers were aware that not all restaurants could offer takeout and delivery of alcohol products before the pandemic, but she is starting to see an increase in liquor sales.
“We’re also seeing a lot of interesting social dynamics coming out of it.”
A few weeks ago a group of friends called Una to order snacks and wine for delivery but instead of meeting up in person, the friends connected through video chat, Hamm said.
“It’s been cool to see all these different social interactions are kind of stemming out of the new polices and the new reality we’re living in right now,” Hamm said.
Hamm said the restaurant is expecting to see more of an increase in delivery orders as more people stay home.
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