Town of Vegreville Cuts Red Tape for Restauranteurs

Town of Vegreville Cuts Red Tape for Restauranteurs

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

No red tape. That’s what the Town of Vegreville is promising restauranteurs who want to set up a patio this year.

“We want to help them get through the red tape, any hang ups, and assist other people in helping them. That’s what we can do. We can take the red tape and paperwork with what provincial government needs and what the town needs and we’ll move that along at a faster pace,” stated Mayor Tim MacPhee.

Restaurant owners will only need to contact their landlord to get permission, added MacPhee. “Anything that we can do to assist them so they can go ahead, that’s what we’ll do.”

Dale Lefebvre, Infrastructure, Planning & Development Director, said one business had reached out to the town about patios as the town was already meeting internally and discussing it.

He said businesses don’t have to make application to the town. Just give us a callexplain what you’re doing.” He added they may ask for a quick site plan before authorizing it.

Lefebvre explained, “Basically, what the town is relaxing the amount of parking stalls required. It doesn’t change their occupancy and if it was going to then they would work with Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission. So, we still have to keep those numbers.

So, what the town is doing and saying, is we’re not going to worry about the occupancy related to the amount of parking stalls, we’ll just let you try and do business as easily as we can.”

To date, there have been a handful of restaurants who have taken the town up on its offer. Some of those businesses include: Boston Pizza, Unwind Bar & Grill, Pizza & Wings, and Albert’s Family

Restaurant. Loco Burro Fresh Mexican Grill has its own patio that it had previously offed to its customers.

One organization that has also taken up the offer is the Royal Canadian Legion No. 39. President Terry Kuzyk said they opened their patio on April 28. “Our regular customers are very happy.” Kuzyk said they have had slightly better numbers customer wise and will keep the patio open for as long as possible.