NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Restaurant owner Leo Molloy rips into rival patrons: 'Old white people and girls with flappy lips'

Kirsty Wynn
By Kirsty Wynn
Reporter·NZ Herald·
10 May, 2019 12:56 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Comments by Leo Molloy, seen here with Hone Harawira, have created a stir. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Comments by Leo Molloy, seen here with Hone Harawira, have created a stir. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

High profile restaurant owner Leo Molloy has caused a stir describing rival restaurants as hangouts for "old white people", "girls with flappy lips" and "young mums in active wear with screaming babies".

The owner of popular Auckland pop-up venue HeadQuarters posted the lengthy description on his restaurant's Facebook after its nomination in hospitality awards The Lewishams.

The post, to encourage patrons to vote in the awards, mentioned Soul Bar, Prego and Apero on K'Rd - which were also nominated for the Outstanding Establishment award.

"The other nominees are Soul, that place where the old white people hang out with girls with flappy lips, sugar daddies, & car salesmen, some sugar daddies who are car salesmen, where they still serve salt and pepper squid with curry sauce, then there's Prego, that's that nursery for young mums in active wear with screaming babies in Ponsonby," Molloy said in the post.

Prego patrons were described by Molloy as mums in active wear with screaming babies. Photo / Steve McNicoll
Prego patrons were described by Molloy as mums in active wear with screaming babies. Photo / Steve McNicoll
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Without naming it he described K'Rd eatery Apero as a place involving 'failed comedians trying their luck as food critics, Ponsonby politicians, along with lots of needles and drugs."

Replies to the post varied from support for Molloy's comments describing him as "a national treasure" to another describing the post as evidence "anyone over the age of 40 should have a licence to use social media".

Over the phone to the Herald Molloy said the post was made to "get people talking and voting" and was "just a bit of a wind-up, a piss-take".

"You can tell that it is just a joke, it's a wind-up. You can tell by the title of my acceptance speech: no f**ks will be given."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Asked to describe the clientele at HeadQuarters, Molloy was a bit kinder than that of his rivals.

"We are Auckland, we penetrate every sector of society, we don't judge anyone unless they are behaving badly or intimidating.

"Whatever you want in the Viaduct precinct we should be able to offer it - apart from quiet and intimacy."

He said the bar would soon boast an area for over 36-year-olds and a whiskey bar.

Discover more

Business

'God awful restaurant': Leo Molloy slams SkyCity in latest rant

18 Jun 07:54 AM
Racing

Leo Molloy fined $15,000 and banned from racing for a year after calling official 'racist ****'

30 Jul 05:00 PM

Prego general manager Brandon Lela'ulu laughed when asked if he was offended by Molloy's post.

He said at least 10 people had sent it to him that morning.

Lela'ulu said restaurant staff had not taken the comments seriously and didn't think there was any malice intended.

As for mums in active wear, Lea'ulu said the clientele was a good mix from the community and afar.

"We have everyone from the community in here, depending on what time of day you come in. We haven't seen Leo in here though."

"I'm not sure where he is getting his information from."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In 2016 Prego made headlines after young diners were warned to mind their manners
and that running, rolling around on the ground, jumping on furniture and playing in bathrooms were not appropriate behaviour.

Just last week Molloy was in the news for his response to a customer who was concerned plastic confetti left on a table by visitors to the restaurant would blow into the harbour.

Last year Molloy, a former champion jockey, branded a group of league fans "mongrel scum and vandals" and described league as a "bogan game" after fans damaged a photo wall.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

How pickle lemonade took over the group chat

24 May 12:00 AM
Lifestyle

Mamamia's Holly Wainwright on why she wants to celebrate midlife – and talk about more than hormones

23 May 07:00 PM
Lifestyle

How one man's passion for tradition and giant kūmara is empowering Northland youth

23 May 05:00 PM

Sponsored: How much is too much?

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
How pickle lemonade took over the group chat

How pickle lemonade took over the group chat

24 May 12:00 AM

NY Times: The sweet-tart drink, with cousins around the world, elicits strong opinions.

Mamamia's Holly Wainwright on why she wants to celebrate midlife – and talk about more than hormones

Mamamia's Holly Wainwright on why she wants to celebrate midlife – and talk about more than hormones

23 May 07:00 PM
How one man's passion for tradition and giant kūmara is empowering Northland youth

How one man's passion for tradition and giant kūmara is empowering Northland youth

23 May 05:00 PM
Designer Caitlin Crisp on motherhood and career success: 'It's a whole new book!'

Designer Caitlin Crisp on motherhood and career success: 'It's a whole new book!'

23 May 05:00 PM
Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year
sponsored

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP