A North Vancouver restaurant has been hit with a $7,000 fine after unknowingly serving alcohol to an underage teen during a provincial sting operation.
Bravo Cucina Ristorante Italiano, located in Lonsdale since 1996, was found to have violated BC’s Liquor Control and Licensing Act during a routine inspection back in March 2025.
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) sent in two minors – aged 17 and 18 – as part of its “Minors as Agents Program (MAP),” which uses undercover teens to test compliance across BC.
According to the hearing decision released July 7, the 18-year-old was served a Kokanee beer without being asked for ID.
The manager on shift, who also acted as server, poured the drink into a glass before removing the bottle.
Inspectors monitoring the interaction then confronted the staff.
The restaurant didn’t deny the incident.
“There is no dispute on this from the licensee,” the report states, confirming that Bravo Cucina breached section 77 of the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, which prohibits the sale or supply of alcohol to minors.
In its defense, the restaurant emphasized it had been operating for 30 years without prior infractions, with staff trained to ID anyone appearing under 30.
After the incident, they raised that threshold to 40 and implemented additional signage and reminders throughout the premises.
However, the Branch deemed the original training insufficient, citing no formal manuals, written tests, or policies shared with employees.
“The reliance on whether a patron has grey hair or wrinkles to make a decision about asking for ID was insufficient,” the hearing officer concluded, adding that a four-day job shadowing period for new employees was not enough to prevent such violations.
Though the restaurant claimed the staff member who served the alcohol wasn’t part of the “directing mind” of the business, the hearing officer ultimately found that the establishment failed to demonstrate due diligence in preventing the sale.
Because it is the first contravention for the restaurant, it is a $7000 – $11,000 monetary penalty and/or a 7 – 11-day licence suspension.
In deciding on a penalty, the Branch chose a monetary fine over a license suspension after the restaurant expressed a strong preference for a financial penalty.
You can read the full case here.
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Address: 1209 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C