Some B.C. nightclubs are redesigning themselves as dance-free venues and reducing the number of seats in order to reopen under provincial pandemic protocols.
At the Carlton Club Cabaret in Esquimalt, seating has been rearranged and there are now cocktail-height tables and bar stools on its dance floor to create a psychological and physical barrier, manager Jeremy Vail said.
The venue was open last Saturday and will now be open Thursdays through Saturdays after being closed since mid-March because of COVID-19.
About 60 people came out on Thursday night to hear top-40 and retro music at a reduced sound level, Vail said.
The evening went “really well,” he said, noting patrons understand that dancing is not permitted.
A health officer toured the site on Thursday and gave the go-ahead to reopen, Vail said.
In Nanaimo, Koncept Nightclub is reopening today and plans to run Fridays and Saturdays.
Like the Carlton, Koncept has put tables and chairs on its dance floor, reduced seating and posted signs outlining safety protocols.
The Carlton, which does not serve food and has a liquor primary licence, has catered to generations of Greater Victoria residents as a place to go dancing.
The venue is in a favourable situation because the club’s sunken dance floor is surrounded by seating, Vail said. “We have a lot of seating area.”
Capacity has been reduced to 85 from 125, Vail said. Once staff are included, that means a maximum of 79 customers are permitted.
The club’s seating is organized to adhere to provincial health rules, with physical distancing and no more than six people at one table, he said. A DJ will play music - although live music has been performed at the club in the past, there are no immediate plans for that.
Live music would be considered a special event, which is not permitted under a provincial health order.
At the Carlton Club Cabaret, provincial notices have been printed on signs and posted, and at the end of the evening, staff meet to review how things went, said Vail, adding being responsible allows guests to have a good time and feel safe. “We feel comfortable that we are doing our due diligence.”
B.C. pubs and restaurants were allowed to open starting in late May as long as they followed provincial protocols, but reopening for night clubs and concerts won’t happen until the province’s restart program enters its fourth phase, at a date still to be determined.
Nightclubs, as well as pubs, restaurants and other locations that serve alcohol, are defined primarily through the type of liquor license that they have, WorkSafe B.C. spokesman Ivy Yuen said in a statement Friday.
Under an order from the provincial health officer, venues serving alcohol must manage areas where patrons congregate, and ensure people stay two metres apart.
“Our guidance from the office of the provincial health officer is that dancing would be considered a point of congregation, and as such could not realistically be allowed given these constraints,” Yuen said.
She said WorkSafe B.C. is aware that some night clubs are restructuring their business models to operate more as a restaurant or pub.
Nightclubs would be subject to the health order banning mass gatherings if they are holding an event, such as a musical performance or show, she said.
