The Prince George Spruce Kings are pursuing a license to serve alcohol at their games.
The Team’s Board prepared a report outlining management and security plans before meeting with a Liquor Inspector, but City Council still has to approve the request.
“It’s kind of been an ongoing process at the Board level to search out some paths for increased revenue,” says President Tom Bohmer, “The driver of us wanting to do this as an organization is the fact that our costs are going sky-high, and we have to find new ways to pay for the increased cost of running a hockey club.”
City administration has also confirmed that the Spruce Kings are the only team in the BCHL that doesn’t offer alcoholic drinks at games.
“A lot of our fans have said to us that they’d like to come down, watch a game, have a beer and cheer on their hometown team. It’s just another added benefit for us, another way to increase the traffic downtown, and another way to increase people coming to our building.”
A report to Council noted a consistent decrease in alcohol-related incidents at the CN Centre ever since the Prince George Cougars allowed drinks in the rink in 2014, and that unauthorized alcohol consumption hasn’t been a problem at the Coliseum in the past.
“We’ve been in the community for more than 40 years now, and I think we’ve earned the respect of the general public,” added Bohmer, “if there is a group out there that deserves to have an event license like this, I’d say our group is right up there.”
City Council will discuss the recommendation at their meeting on Monday, September 28.
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