Can a restaurant's liquor licence be suspended just because ownership is changing hands?

A change in ownership isn't itself a violation that triggers suspension, but mishandling the transition can absolutely create a gap in lawful service, which can feel just as disruptive to the business as an actual suspension. The regulator generally needs to be kept informed of who actually controls a licensed establishment, and an ownership change that isn't reported properly, or that happens without the appropriate approval being sought first, can leave the business without valid authorization to serve alcohol until the paperwork catches up — which is functionally similar to a suspension even if it's technically just a lapse in authorization.

This is different from a suspension imposed as a penalty for actual misconduct, such as serving intoxicated patrons or breaching licence conditions, which is a separate enforcement process tied to how the business is run, not to who owns it. A well-handled ownership change, reported and approved on the correct timeline, generally shouldn't trigger any interruption at all.

The safest approach is to treat licensing approval as a critical path item running alongside the rest of the transaction, with the purchase agreement's closing conditions reflecting exactly what needs to be confirmed with the regulator before the business changes hands.