City of Toronto – Licensing & Zoning Review for Restaurants, Bars and Entertainment Venues
In 2018, the City began reviewing the licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues in response to directives from City Council and recommendations from the Auditor General. This review was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic as resources needed to be redirected to emergency response and recovery.
Recognizing that the pandemic has negatively affected the restaurant, bar and entertainment venues, the City is prioritizing the review of relevant zoning and licensing regulations to support businesses during their recovery, while addressing community and public safety issues.
Staff will bring a report to the Planning and Housing Committee on November 25, 2021. The report will propose a framework to modernize and clarify licensing and zoning regulations for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, outline next steps to address issues with problematic establishments, and propose plans for consultations in early 2022.
City staff will provide opportunities for participation in consultations that will be planned for early 2022. If you wish to provide comments to inform the framework report for licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, please submit via email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca by November 5, 2021.
Information on future consultations will be provided as details are finalized. After the consultations, the City will prepare a final report later in 2022 with proposed licensing and zoning amendments and recommendations related to the enforcement of problematic establishments.
For more information, please visit: Licensing & Zoning Review for Restaurants, Bars & Entertainment Venues – City of Toronto
City of Toronto
Municipal Licensing and Standards
