BYO Alcohol (Dublin City Centre)

Lloyd Xmas

Hi All,

I'm currently trying to find information on the rules and regulations surrounding BYO Alcohol.

If anyone has a BYO licence, I'd be grateful for any information; or indeed even advise on where I can get hold of the info.
I tried the DCC but didn't have much joy, to the point of no reply in fact :rolleyes:

Is this something that's designed purely for restaurants or could it be used in other areas of business?
Would anyone have a ball park figure for the annual cost for the licence?

I'd like to incorporate the facility into a plan that I have so if anyone can help, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks Guys

thesteve

The Unicorn in Dooradoyle, Limerick let you do this in their restaurant. But they are a bar & restaurant so I'm not sure of the licensing situation.

Most restaurants in Belfast are this way too.

Best of luck!

Bandara

All resturants will let you to this in theory.

They will simply charge you a 50 euro corkage to
make it pointless for you to do so. Alcohol markup is a huge part of making a restaurant viable.

Lloyd Xmas

Thanks for the replies guys...

I think however, I should have explained my query a bit better in the first place...

I know already that BYO is a big thing for restaraunts and the like, but my question is; could I get a BYO licence for a business that has absolutely nothing to do with food?

Basically, the business concerned would only really be worthwhile if I could obtain a BYO licence, as this factor would significantly boost custom, therefore making the business viable.

If anyone has any experience in this area, I'd be delighted to hear it.

Apologies for the initial confusion folks!

antoinolachtnai

I had thought (and i could be wrong) that BYO was originally to circumvent the requirement to have a licence, i.e. if a restaurant didn't have a licence, it would allow customers to bring their own alcoholic beverages.

As far as I know there is no licence for this. The definitive answer from this would have to come from a lawyer practising in the area, but you could ask the Garda responsible for licensing in your area. There could also be a planning issue, depending what you have in mind.

I think a lot will depend on use of discretion by the Garda. (I am reminded of the operation by Joe Duffy of a bar in the JCR in TCD, where, Duffy argued, the fee charged was for rental of glasses rather than purchase of beverages.)

I would be very careful about a business that depended on BYO. Managing the situation could become very fraught. What kind of customers would it attract? If it got to the point of a public order issue, even once, I suspect you would be in real trouble.

Lloyd Xmas

Hi Antoin, and thanks for the helpful reply.

The Lawyer and Garda routes would definitely yield some results I'm sure.

The issues you raise on the dependance of the BYO are indeed valid. The forecast drawn up however, taking premises rental et al into account, has been done to exclude the BYO factor.

I see it more as an additional bonus for the business, and something that people may appreciate, given the resentment over the "rip-off" culture, and the fact that people now stay at home and socialise more often.
This allows them to effectively get out for a few hours, enjoy themselves in town in this facility, and effectively have four or five bottles for roughly the same price as one pint (with the addition of course of what the business charges, which isn't much)

The clientele factor; again a very valid point and something I've considered. To combat any nasty surprises; premises location, and advertising will be very specific.
I need to establish the desired atmosphere from the word go otherwise I could be creating problems for myself.

A membership structure and loyalty benefits have been considered, however I need to establish whether or not the membership structure would affect the granting of a BYO setup.

Thanks again, much appreciated

antoinolachtnai

I would be careful not to overestimate the resentment. Most people expect to go to a venue and to be able to buy a drink. They basically don't mind paying a premium for the convenience of the facility.

The cost of the beer isn't necessarily the biggest cost for a night out - for a lot of people, transport is almost as big a cost.

I have a picture in my mind of what you are thinking of which may or may not be correct. There are so many pub premises becoming vacant that I would have to wonder whether one of them might be a match for you, and would come with a licence.

Lloyd Xmas

Thanks Antoin

I take your point on the transport, however I'm not so sure it would be a big issue for this particular thing, as the target market frequent the City Centre each day regardless.
So, depending on the time of day / night, it may not cost people anything extra to get home.

I agree also that "people don't mind paying a premium for the convenience of a facility", however the main focus of the business is not the alcohol; its more of a unique, convenient option for customers who are there for the main event... A nice surprise in effect!

antoinolachtnai

Picture the scene, I meet my friends or workmates or whatever at this place. I came straight from work. I don't know what it's all about. I'm the first to arrive. There are people sitting around drinking from cans and bottles they brought themselves. I notice this because I don't have anything to drink and there's no bar.

I really sense danger here. You need to talk to people in the restaurant, theatre and licensed trades about this for their views.

Lloyd Xmas

The scene below was quite amusing - It sounds horrifying! :rolleyes:

No the thing is; there's no mistique to this business at all.
It caters to a market that's lacking in Dublin at present; I know this from looking at opinions etc... on other forums and its something I've always enjoyed myself, so would be confident of having a good idea of what people want.
I've been to many establishments in different places around the world and have seen the good, the bad, those that people love, and those that people just go to for convenience.

People enjoy the activity regardless of alcohol - Its just that it would be nice for them to have the option if they so wished.
Consumption straight from a can wouldn't be permitted... If cans are brought, they must be poured into a glass.
People drinking direct from cans is certainly not something that would be good and would certainly create a shoddy, low standard vibe.
All glasses (pint, half pint, wine, shorts) would be supplied by me.

The interior is also something I'll consider very carefully as this I feel will link closely with the establishment itself, as well as the BYO.
If the interior was shoddy and the place had a BYO, I'd be looking at fairly serious issues alright (similiar to your description above!)

petestan

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm wondering what came of this plan. Is it possible to run a business and operate a BYO drink policy without any alcohol licencing (and therefore an exemption from the restrictions that pubs face)? Something like a small theatre or venue.