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More places to perch coming to Barn Owl Brewing in Kelowna

Barn Owl Brewing gets city council’s support to add more seating to the business
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Barn Owl Brewing has support from the City of Kelowna for a liquor licence amendment to the province. (Photo/Facebook)

Barn Owl Brewing in the Mission has Kelowna council’s support to add more seating.

The craft brewery wants to up its indoor seating from 87 to 100, and add 41 spaces to an existing outdoor patio, bringing the capacity there to 72.

The changes require an amendment to Barn Owl’s lounge endorsement licence and will require final approval by the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. The brewery’s existing liquor licence hours will not change.

Barn Owl recently bought neighbouring business It’s A Bakery after the owners decided they want to sell and gave the brewery first right of refusal.

“Our plan, as we took over on Dec. 1, is to keep it as a coffee house and bake shop but to expand the patio around the outside, which would give more seating during the day and during the evening as well for brewery patrons,” Barn Owl co-owner Gary Brooker told council at a Jan. 17 public hearing.

There were no public comments for or against the brewery’s plans, however, Coun. Mohini Singh did reference a letter council received noting concerns over people being drunk as well as noise.

Barn Owl co-owner Tim Kramer told council he received the same letter.

“All our staff has Serving It Right. The fact they’re implying that rule is being broken I think is mostly incorrect.”

“There’s no doubt there will be noise, people become boisterous after a beer possibly, but I don’t understand saying that they’re drunk is not quite what we think and our staff is quite proud of the way they manage that.”

Kramer pointed out that the outdoor patio will close at 11:00 every night as required by their liquor licence.

“We are not a nightclub. It just isn’t the neighbourhood that encourages late-night drinking.”

It’s A Bakery will close for renovations and re-branding for two weeks at the end of January.

READ MORE: Grab a growler of gluten-free beer at new Lake Country brewery


@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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