Vancouver beachgoers could soon enjoy a glass of wine or beer with their fun in the sun.
Park board commissioners received an update this week on the board’s concession strategy. The park board operates 13 concession stands at parks and beaches across the city, with services provided by 10 different operators.
In addition to a move to establish more consistency and branding between the different operations, staff reported on some proposed changes, including a pilot project testing alcohol sales at English Bay and Third Beach.
In public consultation, which included an online survey, interviews and focus groups, 79 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the sale of alcoholic beverages at concession stands, 16 per cent noted they disagreed or strongly disagreed, and five per cent didn’t agreed or disagreed.
Staff told commissioners that, if it goes ahead, the project would include a limited selection of local beer and wine at the two locations.
The proposal will come back to commissioners for final approval before going ahead.
Other proposed changes for 2018 include offering new menu options, such as pizza, wraps, barbecue, salads and ethnic food choices, while ensuring traditional beach concession favourites remain; improving the overall aesthetic of the front counter experience; and implementing a service quality monitoring program.
Some improvements were already implemented this year, including having a professional chef overseeing concession operations, and menu modifications made to better align with target markets, such as offering fresh-squeezed lemonade at Second Beach, and fish tacos at Spanish Banks East, Second Beach and Kitsilano.
