Noise complaints in Yaletown have prompted City of Vancouver inspectors to enforce by-laws preventing restaurants from playing music on patios through installed stereo speakers.
Televisions, however, are fine, said city spokeswoman Wendy Stewart. That’s because televisions are not permanently fixed to the patios and are able to be moved back inside, she explained. “The requirement is to have all noise turned off by 11 p.m.”
According to Glowbal Restaurant Group CEO Emad Yacoub, it’s a ridiculous situation
“They have turned Yaletown from a nice, happy place to being like a morgue,” Yacoub told Business in Vancouver July 20. “What we’ve done is put televisions on the patio tuned to the music channel.”
Yacoub believes city inspectors are being overzealous and rigidly enforcing other by-laws at his restaurants which include Italian Kitchen, Coast, Sanafir, Trattoria, Glowbal Afterglow and Society.
“A table of 10 was standing at the door waiting to be seated and an inspector walked in and said that the law said that they shouldn’t be standing,” Yacoub said. “Where do they want me to put them? On the street until the table is ready? Inspectors are really following the law to the technical point. It’s as though they think I can wave a magic stick and people can go from standing outside to sitting at their table.”