Oliver’s Pub has submitted a liquor license application for their patio and the adjoining washrooms, according to Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) general manager Rod Castro.
Castro said there is demand from students for use of the patio, which has been closed for the past several years.
“Students are talking to us and especially the summer students and the people staying in residence over the course of the summer. There just isn’t an outdoor space and we have an ideal space available to them,” Castro said.
Craig Handy, CUSA’s vice-president (finance) said CUSA spoke to campus safety, Oliver’s management, student affairs, and risk management before going through with the application.
“We wanted to make sure all the players were on board with it,” Handy said. He added that CUSA will still use the space if the license doesn’t go through.
An option was to open the patio and not allow people to order alcohol, he said. Adding a flower garden or a bench was another option.
“We’re not just going to let it sit there . . . We want to make [a] purpose for it,” Handy said.
Castro said this is the first time Oliver’s Pub has applied to license their bathrooms. Oliver’s does not currently allow students in the washroom with their drinks, he said.
“As per our liquor license, it’s not a licensed area until we get that approval,” Castro said. He added that licensing the bathrooms is a safety precaution, so students are not forced to leave drinks unattended while they go to the washroom.
“We’re kind of catching up when it comes to applying for that one right now,” he said.
Oliver’s has faced issues regarding its liquor license in the past.
In October 2007, the pub had its license suspended for 40 days due to misconduct. In February 2007, police observed Oliver’s staff serving drunk patrons.
An underage student was also seen drunk at the pub that year, which is against the Ontario Liquor Licensing Act.
The pub also had its license suspended in 2003 for serving alcohol after hours.
Castro said CUSA has been working on getting approval for patio licensing from the university since early this summer.
“Getting to this point was years of working with the different departments within the university, showing them that we are capable of operating this business at a high enough standard for them to have faith in our ability to do so,” Castro said.
Mark Hargreaves, Campus Safety community liaison officer, said there are several measures put in place for on-campus licensed businesses.
“We have a very good working relationship with Oliver’s and CUSA,” Hargreaves said. “We all work together to ensure it’s a safe environment for everyone at Oliver’s, and we’ve had no issues and I wouldn’t anticipate this license being any different.”
Hargreaves said the Alcohol Committee on campus, which includes Campus Safety, CUSA, and the Graduate Students’ Association, among others, have been working with CUSA through the licensing process.
Cindy Cruz, a third-year criminology student at Carleton, said she thinks licensing Oliver’s bathrooms is a good idea.
“You don’t know if you leave your drink unattended what might happen to it,” Cruz said. She added she would be interested in visiting the Oliver’s patio.
Castro said he doesn’t expect the patio will cause any problems for the pub itself, which has remained issue-free since it regained its liquor license.
“Part of the process of applying for a patio license is that you do need your landlord to be on board with it. Our landlord is the university and they’ve shown us the utmost support in our ability to manage the situation,” he said.
Handy said if the licensing deal goes through, the patio will be open by November. He said CUSA has already budgeted for expenses involved in the process.
According to Handy, the application process will cost CUSA around $500.
