On March 26, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced new measures introduced by the Government of Ontario temporarily allowing liquor licensed establishments to sell beer, wine and spirits as part of food orders for takeout or delivery.
To ensure that the sale and service of alcohol continues to be done responsibly, licensees must ensure that all those involved in its sale or delivery have completed Smart Serve training, including any third parties acting as their agents.
In order to quickly increase the availability of certified delivery drivers, the AGCO and Smart Serve teamed up to offer free registration to the certification program until April 30th.
We are pleased to report that the response to this opportunity has been overwhelming. There were over 50,000 new registrations made to the program within the first three days of the free registration period. The number of new people who will now be certified in the responsible sale and service of alcohol will benefit the province. Not only does it significantly increase the potential employment and service opportunities in a hospitality sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, it also increases the number of Ontario citizens educated to support the responsible sale, service and consumption of alcohol.
Given the surge in new registrations to the program, the offer of free enrollment will temporarily be paused as these registrations are processed and will be reinstated in a few days’ time.
The AGCO and Smart Serve are exploring new ways to continue supporting servers and the sector and more information will be provided as it becomes available.