Winnipeg Ikea store applies for liquor licence

Shoppers at Ikeamay soon be able to have a beer or a glass of winewhile they take a break in the dining room.

The furniture giant says the Winnipeg store has applied for a liquor licence through the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba.

In an email to CBC News, IkeaCanada spokesperson Madelaine Lwenborg-Frick says it is common across Canada for its restaurants to serve beer and wine.

"We know that, like at any other full-service restaurant in Winnipeg, some of our customers wish to have an alcoholic beverage with their meals," Lwenborg-Frick said.

The Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba confirms thatIkeahas applied for a liquor licence, and it could take anywhere from oneto sixweeks to get approved.

New licence applications are required to post a public notice at the proposed siteor in alocal newspaper.

Anyone who opposes the application has until March 24 to submit their objection in writing to the Liquor and Gaming Authority.

The Liquor and Gaming Authority says it's rare for retailers to serve alcohol in their dining rooms.

If approved, Ikea would be the only retailer besides McNally Robinson Booksellers to serve beer and wine in their dining rooms.