The Cat and Fiddle Sports Bar in Port Coquitlam is asking the city for permission to keep its doors open for an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights.
Randy Doncaster, co-owner of the pub, which currently closes at 1 a.m. on weekends, said the extra hour is necessary to compete with establishments in neighbouring communities.
"Everyone else has a 2 a.m. closing," he said. "The way business is, we don't want to lose those customers."
Doncaster pointed to Roosters Country Cabaret, a nightclub in Pitt Meadows, and the Golden Spike Pub in Port Moody as two examples of establishments that stay open past the Cat and Fiddle's current 1 a.m. weekend closing.
Port Coquitlam city councillors supported moving the report to a public hearing in order to get input from the neighbourhood.
In the past, area residents have had concerns about noise coming from the bar but Doncaster said a lot of work has been completed to mitigate sound travel.
He noted that the bar is on a large lot surrounded by industrial buildings and the border the property shares with homes is lined with tall trees that block the noise. The bar has also hired a doorman to ensure noisy patrons do not loiter outside the building.
Doncaster also addressed concerns about drunk driving issues that could come from the extended closing hours.
He said the Cat and Fiddle has a good relationship with the local taxi service and that allowing its patrons to frequent the bar later would keep them from driving to other municipalities to make a 2 a.m. last call.
"I think it is best to keep them local," he said.
While council unanimously supported moving the report to a public hearing (Coun. Mike Forrest was not present for the meeting), Coun. Darrell Penner said he had concerns the closing time change would set a precedent for other drinking establishments in the city.
"If this goes through," he said, "other businesses are going to want to be on a level playing field."
But John Leeburn, the city's chief administrative officer, said just because one bar stays open until a certain time does not mean that every pub must also be allowed to.
He noted that in municipalities that have the 2 a.m. closings are not consistent form one establishment to another and that circumstances such as location have to be taken into consideration.
Randy Doncaster has operated the Cat and Fiddle with his brother for more than 25 years. He said the business employs 81 people.
