Chinese restaurant loses liquor licence after teens found drinking

A Chinese restaurant has had its liquor licence pulled after cops found a large group of teenagers drinking alcohol.

Responding to a complaint of underage drinking, police officers walked into the HKYK Hot Pot Restaurant at 4260 No. 3 Rd. around 10 p.m. one night.

The officers noticed 11 teenagers, all later found to be 15 and 16-years-old, with alcohol directly in front of them.

Police questioned the manager on duty and he admitted that the waitress had not asked the young customers for identification before serving them alcohol.

Details of the incident – which happened on May 7 - were forwarded to the Liquor Control & Licencing Branch, resulting in this week’s ten-day suspension if the restaurant’s liquor licence, effective from June 11 to 20.

Richmond RCMP said it works closely in partnership with the Liquor Control & Licencing Branch to “enforce provisions of the Liquor Control & Licencing Act.”

“We would like to encourage the community to contact police for any similar instances that they may be aware of,” said police spokeswoman Cpl. Sherrdean Turley.