Patrons of the oceanfront Beach House restaurant in Saanich are a step closer to being able to dine and dance the night away — again.
The former family-owned McMorran’s restaurant, a Cordova Bay landmark, was in business almost 90 years, offering dancing for most of that time to generations of families in the capital region.
The restaurant on Cordova Bay Road closed on Easter Sunday of 2010. It fell into disrepair and its liquor licence lapsed until the next summer, when Kate Phoenix bought the landmark, renovated it over 10 months and re-opened it in June 2012, renaming it the Beach House. Phoenix preserved the restaurant’s grand piano and antique maple-sprung dance floor in the upper dining room. She envisioned dancing would resume, not immediately realizing that her new liquor licence didn’t allow for people to do anything but sit and listen.
When a duet or small trio plays on Wednesday nights, “if our patrons wish to dance, we are to ask them to remain seated,” Phoenix said.
In August 2014, Phoenix applied for a “patron participation” component to her food-primary liquor licence to allow for dancing, Trivial Pursuit nights, music bingo and music performances, for example.
The restaurant is not seeking to change its hours (last call is at midnight), capacity or food-primary status.
In a unanimous vote Monday, Saanich councillors gave Phoenix the green light, allowing her to proceed to the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, which will render the final decision. “I’m hopeful it will be just a couple of weeks,” Phoenix said after the meeting. “But everything usually takes longer.”
The approval process was not a waltz in the park. Phoenix had to do some fancy footwork to bring the neighbourhood onside.
Some neighbours noted noise concerns related to live music and patrons spilling out of the restaurant late at night. Some were concerned the restaurant would become more of a bar, biker bar or karaoke bar. Parking was cited as a potential problem. Others said property values would go down and resale of their homes would be affected.
More people supported the application, however.
Phoenix told councillors she plans to address neighbours’ concerns by using a sound meter she purchased to hold performances to acceptable levels, hiring security personnel for events with more than 100 attendees to monitor surrounding areas of the restaurant, and advising staff not to dispose of garbage after 10 p.m.
Phoenix said that the Beach House will retain its family-friendly focus. “We are not wanting to open a karaoke bar or a biker bar or any type of bar.”
(George) Bruce McMorran, one of the former owners, spoke to councillors in support of Phoenix, reminiscing about his family’s business. “Dancing is part of that business,” said McMorran, who also praised the renovations. “My mother, in particular, would have liked to see what has happened to that facility.”
Coun. Judy Brownoff recommended signage to remind patrons to be quiet when exiting the premises.
