(Beer bottles image via Shutterstock)
Manitoba’s food service industry is pouring suds on the provinces unfair pricing on liquor for restaurants and others in the hospitality industry.
Restaurants Canada says that while Manitoba has somewhat improved the regulatory environment surrounding alcohol, it has so far refused to provide bar and restaurant owners with wholesale pricing on alcohol products.
“The good news is, we’ve seen a willingness in both provinces (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) to remove some of the outdated regulations and red tape that frustrate business owners and customers,” said Dwayne Marling, Restaurants Canada’s vice-president Manitoba/Saskatchewan.
“The bad news is, we’ve seen no movement on wholesale pricing for our industry. It makes no sense for bar and restaurant owners to pay the same retail price as the general public for their alcohol purchases.”
The Raise the Bar report card (below) scores Manitoba a C+ compared to Saskatchewan’s D+ when it comes to liquor policies and regulations.
Close to 97 percent of respondents surveyed want to see wholesale pricing for the products they sell in their establishments, and 72 percent believe the cost of purchasing their product hinders their ability to do business. Less than a third (30 percent) say they receive value from their local liquor or beer supplier.
