CNV supports permanent patio at The Gull Bar and Kitchen

A 12-seat curbside patio outside The Gull Bar and Kitchen on East 1st Street is a step closer to becoming permanent after CNV staff recommended that the council support the expansion. The staff note that the noise impact will be minimal.

The plan would carve out a 97-square-foot patio on the roadway outside The Gull, offering full table service for 12 diners, Tuesday through Saturday, until 10 pm. The patio operated for two summers under the city’s Outdoor Dining Program and the LCRB’s pandemic-era Temporary Expanded Service Area (TESA) program “without any reported complaints.”

Those temporary approvals expired last Dec. 31, prompting the new, permanent application. According to the CNV staff report, records show no disturbances linked to The Gull — or its patio — since the long-time Lower Lonsdale pub rebranded from The Rusty Gull in 2020. The restaurant fronts only two residential properties, and staff say crowding or sidewalk obstruction is unlikely because patrons will be seated by a designated server and can wait indoors. However, the patio will remove at least one curbside parking stall.

The Gull Bar and Kitchen says the licensed patio will have a designated server.

Unlike the self-service model often associated with brewery patios, where patrons place orders inside and carry drinks out, this patio is intended to operate with full table service. The Gull Bar also noted that the surrounding block of East 1st Street experiences lower pedestrian activity compared to other areas of Lower Lonsdale, and therefore, crowding or sidewalk obstruction is not expected. “Additionally, The Gull Bar and Kitchen maintains a designated indoor waiting area within the restaurant, which will also be utilized for patio guests awaiting a table, further mitigating potential sidewalk congestion.”

The Gull’s block sits between the Shipyards Brewery District and the rapidly developing 200- and 300-blocks of East Esplanade — corridors the city says are helping turn Lower Lonsdale into “a vibrant community destination.” Seven liquor-primary venues now operate in the area, drawing visitors and jobs to the North Shore’s urban core.

Staff are urging council to let the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, rather than the city, run the public comment process. They say the patio would stay true to the bar’s core operation, is unlikely to disturb nearby residents and fits the city’s long-term vision for Lower Lonsdale and the 100-block of East First Street.