The hospitality community is one of immense passion and creativity.

In recent years, millions of dollars have been invested in promoting Vancouver as a world class hospitality destination, yet our ability as an industry to deliver world class hospitality is in many ways hampered by archaic liquor laws, egregious permitting and licensing delays, and an ever increasing cost of living. The Candidates on Crates panel sought to address solutions to help us move forward, and commit to making this industry one that can thrive at the level that we all know that it can.

The intention of Chef’s Favourite’s inaugural Candidates on Crates live panel was to give Vancouver’s 2026 mayoral candidates the opportunity to share what they would do if elected mayor to support the hospitality industry, and express their plans to eliminate the pressures that impede our ability to access the full scope of creativity and excellence we strive for. Likewise, the live panel aimed to allow the industry to advocate for ourselves - to pose questions directly to the leaders who are seeking to shape the city we know and love, and engage directly with the municipal politics that impact us all.

Below, we have recounted the questions that candidates were tasked with answering, and summarised the key points they offered in response. The full Candidates on Crates mayoral panel is available to watch here.

As mayor, what action would you like to see taken to accommodate hospitality initiatives that seek to transform shipping containers, garages, vacant public spaces, parks, and heritage homes into neighbourhood gathering places?

Pete Fry (Green)

Fast track change of use and permitting processes
Utilise the Vancouver building bylaw to activate creative opportunities in the hospitality sector, such as shipping containers and heritage homes that can become licensed gathering places
Utilise dual licensing to allow for venues to operate with different service models

Colleen Hardwick (TEAM)

Create a pathway for temporary, low-risk, and unconventional hospitality uses
Create one application, one city contact, and one coordinated review to address these processes
Identify appropriate spaces across Vancouver that can be pre-qualified for temporary uses such as vacant storefronts and underutilised civic spaces

REBECCA BLIGH (Vote Vancouver)

Plan and zone for third spaces and get regulations out of the way to allow for permits and temporary activations to be approved

Kareem Allam (Vancouver Liberals)

One door in and one door out for hospitality permitting processes
Create a standardised temporary use permit for various spaces and activations
Decrease the cost of policing events and festivals, and revisit what is necessary

Ken Sim (ABC Vancouver)

Eliminate regulatory red tape and offer business owners support throughout the permitting process
Speed up business license applications

Amauri Caliman (Independant)

Create an online tool with City Hall to provide permitting information in a single place, and an online dashboard that displays median approval time for processing applications
Create a pilot project for new businesses who want to test concepts before committing to a permanent operation

Pete Fry (Green)

How do you propose to ensure that the unique needs of cafes, takeout businesses, bars, and both small and large restaurants are seen, heard, and addressed at a municpal level?

Treat the regulatory environment with a customer service approach, and strive to become partners in the success of hospitality businesses
Introduce a Business Navigator who can help guide business owners through the hurdles of provincial and municipal processes
Alleviate the pressures of change of use applications

Colleen Hardwick (TEAM)

Where do you stand when it comes to implementing regulations for commercial tenancies and protecting small businesses from predatory commercial leasing practices?

Advocate for modernised commercial tenancy protections for small businesses, including transparency in leases, clear disclosure of additional rents and operating costs, reasonable notice of major changes, and accessible dispute resolution
Reduce the costs that City Hall controls, such as property taxes, fees, and regulatory costs

REBECCA BLIGH (Vote Vancouver)

Do you see a more open air drinking culture in our future? And if so, how would you work with the province to allow for licensees to accommodate this style of social atmosphere that allows guests to eat, as well as dance / mingle with drinks in venues other than nightclubs?

Pilot pedestrian areas with relaxed open air liquor consumption and food service
Lobby the province to pilot something like this in Vancouver in order to prove that it can be successful

Kareem Allam (Vancouver Liberals)

How do you propose to help support restaurateurs and address the rising cost of patio permitting?

Create multi-year terms, and lock in the price over the course of the term
Refund permit fees if certain deadlines for turning around permits are not met by City Hall

Ken Sim (ABC Vancouver)

What is one recent municipal initiative that you believe has contributed to progress in licensing timelines, and what is one action you would like to see taken to continue this positive trend?

The elimination of red tape has made positive impacts on approval timelines
Develop a concierge service to help applicants through permitting processes, but ultimately aim to eliminate the need for a concierge by streamlining the process

Amauri Caliman (Independant)

What action would you propose in order to create a stronger and more cohesive working front between these provincial and municipal processes?

Remove requirements and fees that overlap between municipal and provincial processes
Create a dashboard that identifies where and why applications are getting stuck in the approval processes
Consult with a broad range of hospitality professionals to assess their respective needs

Watch the Full Panel Here

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