Vancouver restaurant's business license suspended following closure order from health authority

The regulatory issues for Corduroy continue.

The Kitsilano restaurant has long defied orders from provincial health authorities regarding pandemic protocols. Most recently their business decisions resulted in the issuing of a closure order from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

Following the closure order, the City of Vancouver suspended the restaurant's business licence. The suspension runs until Dec. 31, 2021.

Rebecca Matthews, Corduroy's owner, posted the notice to the restaurant's Instagram stories.

In the notice, the city writes that the repeated failures of Corduroy's staff to ask for vaccination proof (aka vaccine passports via the BC Vaccine Card) were among the reasons for the closure order from VCH.

Matthews has been vocal in her opposition to mask mandates, vaccine passports and the efforts by health authorities to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The city explains that because the restaurant isn't following provincial laws its business licence is being suspended.

"Therefore, in accordance with Section 277 (c) of the Vancouver Charter, your business license 21-147687 is hereby suspended immediately to and including December 31, 2021," states the letter. "The business known as Corduroy Lounge operating at 1943 Cornwall Avenue must remain closed during the suspension period."

If they open up while the suspension is in place they could receive tickets for operating without a licence or even see their business licence revoked.