Lai See | Should retail outlets be required to get an off-licence to sell liquor?
A year ago, we wrote about the thriving business done by 7-Elevens around the Lan Kwai Fong entertainment area.
A year ago, we wrote about the thriving business done by 7-Elevens around the Lan Kwai Fong entertainment area. Since then, a few more have sprung up in the area. It is not hard to see why since people can buy liquor for a significantly lower price than in one of the surrounding bars. There is a reason for this. 7-Eleven does not have the overheads of a bar in terms of staff and fittings. Nor does it have to go through the regulatory hurdles the bars do.
This is a sore point with bar owners, who make a considerable financial investment in their premises while having to deal with a Liquor Licensing Board, which, as some of the recent decisions by Mr Justice Kevin Zervos in the High Court indicate, can be somewhat capricious.
In Hong Kong, the sale of liquor at licensed premises is regulated by the board while the sale of food is regulated by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. Hence the absurd situation that occurs here when restaurants open and have to wait for months to obtain a liquor licence. Other jurisdictions have abandoned this split and the sale of food and liquor is regulated by one body - something that could be applied in Hong Kong.
As things stand, 7-Eleven has to obtain a licence from the food department to supply cooked food for consumption off the premises. To get this licence, it has to fulfil certain requirements. Unusually, Hong Kong has no such requirements for the sale of alcohol. Theoretically, it is legal for a 10-year-old to walk into a 7-Eleven or supermarket and buy alcohol.
7-Eleven says it is scrupulous in only serving alcohol to those over 18 years old. However, from a casual observation of its various outlets, it is clear that this is not always the case. So at the 7-Elevens in and around Lan Kwai Fong, you will find a somewhat larger display of liquor for sale than at 7-Elevens elsewhere. There is a bottle opener on the counter and invariably people are drinking inside and there is usually a crowd outside.