Restaurants seek licence change

THE Perth restaurant sector is responding to changes in consumer behaviour, with some seeking either small bar or tavern licences in order to compete with new small bar operators.

The industry body representing food service businesses in Western Australia says the licensing shift is due to growing consumer demand to stand at a bar to drink without eating or being seated.

Restaurants and Catering WA has labelled the current licensing system in WA as "archaic" in light of how this growing demand is being responded to.

Restaurants and Catering WA senior vice-president, Graham Bolton, said the small bar licence, which was granted to operations with a maximum capacity of 120 people, was clearly better for a restaurant operation.

"The demand is so people can go in and have a nice glass of premium wine at the bar and enjoy that without necessarily having to sit down and have a meal," Mr Bolton told WA Business News.

"At a small bar you can come in and you can consume drinks at the bar and you don't have to be seated.

"If you're under that limit of 120 guests, there's a tremendous advantage to have a small bar licence over and above a restaurant licence."

Mr Bolton said a number of restaurants had recently applied for small bar licences, and another group had applied for tavern licences.

"The Bistro Felix in Subiaco, which obviously has the capacity to seat more than 120 people so in their case they can't apply for a small bar licence, they are looking to switch across from the restaurant to a tavern [licence]," he said.

"Firstly, it's a matter of meeting patron demand and secondly, it's a matter of being online with what's happening in the rest of the world and what's happening in Melbourne; we've become very archaic over here."

Mr Bolton, who owns Char Char Bull Steakhouse, in Fremantle, would like to see licensing responsibilities return to the state government's licensing courts after he contemplated upgrading to a tavern licence but was stifled by the local council.

"There is a whole need to address these licensing anomalies," he said.