Brewery store holiday hours

nickw · Post by **nickw** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:29 pm

I notice that Amsterdam is open today from 11am - 9pm, but Indie Ale House tweeted "Our retail store is CLOSED today by law. A very old, stupid law." Bellwoods' store is also closed.

What's the difference in those places -- how can one brewery store be open but another isn't allowed to be?

andrewrg · Post by **andrewrg** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:53 pm

Well, Bellwoods and Indie are brewpubs with attached retail stores, while Amsterdam is a brewery. I wouldn't be surprised if the laws for each were different.

nickw · Post by **nickw** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:56 pm

That was my original thought, just wondered if there was more to it than that. (Great Lakes is closed today, but that could just be a decision they've made on their own.)

Kekumba · Post by **Kekumba** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:59 pm

Beyond The Pale here in Ottawa was saying they're not allowed to be open today as well. They're just a brewery. Weird.

groulxsome · Post by **groulxsome** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 2:33 pm

This is all I could find.

AGCO says "Please note that NO brewery retail stores may open on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday or Easter Sunday under any circumstances."

I don't know how Amsterdam is open today! Maybe the AGCO document is out of date and they filed some sort of exemption?

velovampire · Post by **velovampire** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:04 pm

Steam Whistle also open until 6 (uhhh, which is right now) today. Huh, odd.

zane9 · Post by **zane9** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:48 pm

Clearly any brewery open today is a lawbreaker and should be padlocked. I love 2013 in #Ontario. Sigh.

MatttthewGeorge · Post by **MatttthewGeorge** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:28 pm

Isn't there an exemption for businesses to open on holidays if they're considered tourist destinations? If so, maybe they have this special status?

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 11:23 pm

MatttthewGeorge wrote:Isn't there an exemption for businesses to open on holidays if they're considered tourist destinations? If so, maybe they have this special status?

Beevis and Butthead: "heh, heh, tourist destination. Heh, heh, heh. I came all the way here to get my growler filled, I'm obviously a tourist. Heh, heh..

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Kekumba wrote:Beyond The Pale here in Ottawa was saying they're not allowed to be open today as well. They're just a brewery. Weird.

I noticed the same thing on facebook and thought it was weird. Then again I grew up in BC, and businesses can be open any holiday there provided they pay their employees accordingly (time and a half plus a paid day off at a later date). It blew my mind when I moved to Ontario and stuff was actually closed on easter or victoria day. Especially since the logic makes no sense (the shopper drug mart down the road from me is open, and sells a ton of food, yet the loblaws across the street is not allowed to be open). The weird thing about beyond the pale is last time I was there, the only people working there were two of the owners (no actual employees) so who is being protected by forcing them to close today?

velovampire · Post by **velovampire** » Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:46 pm

Kel Varnsen wrote:...so who is being protected by forcing them to close today?

The children.

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:26 am

velovampire wrote:
Kel Varnsen wrote:...so who is being protected by forcing them to close today?
The children.

Are more children going to be buying beer from a brewery on easter sunday compared to a non-holiday sunday. Honestly I always thought these laws were all about employees. Which is why when I lived in BC my dad made me and my sister work in his video store rather than paying actual employees 2.5 times their regular wage to work on a holiday. So if a business doesn't have any actual employees, why force them to close?

I am really surprised more businesses in Ontario (not brewers but businesses in general) don't fight these holiday rules. I mean it just seems so arbitrary, in that I can go to the movies on Easter Sunday, but I can't go buy my groceries. The worst was last year on Victoria day, when my wife and I went to Lowes to buy hanging basket plants in their garden centre. The garden centre was open, but they actually had caution tape across the little coolers at the cash registers, because I guess the government wouldn't want people buying individual bottles of coca-cola on a holiday (but garden stuff is ok).

NRman · Post by **NRman** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:39 pm

Kel Varnsen wrote: because I guess the government wouldn't want people buying individual bottles of coca-cola on a holiday (but garden stuff is ok).

seems legit