Cornerstone Bar opens until 3am on weekends, with live bands playing until it closes. One of the managers, Natalie McDonald, said weekends had been “pretty quiet”, so to lose an hour of trading was “pretty tough” for Tauranga’s hospitality venues.
”Having that whole hour cut off is quite a lot of business to lose.”
The committee wanted to prevent people travelling from bars in Mount Maunganui to Tauranga to continue drinking.
Commissioner Stephen Selwood said: “I think a consistent closing time is the most important. Otherwise you’re just encouraging people to go from one side of town to the other, to get their last hour in.”
There was confusion over when bars in the Mount shut, but staff informed the committee it was 1am. This prompted the committee to include the one-way door policy from 1am.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said: “That’s what we’re trying to stop. They leave the Mount and come to the centre city.”
McDonald said if people were at a point where they should not be drinking anymore, then that was fine. However, those who could continue their night should be allowed to.
”It’s a lot of business that we could potentially have that will be now … not be coming over here.
”Everyone knows that the Mount is busier than the city at the moment. You only need to walk down the street on a Friday or Saturday night to see how quiet it is in the CBD.”
Tauranga City Council commission chairwoman Anne Tolley. Photo / Alex Cairns
Crown and Badger operations manager Katja Halbgewachs agreed it would prevent people coming from the Mount.
The English-style tavern has a licence to remain open until 2am, so will not be affected by the closing time, but the one-way door policy would have an impact, she said.
”We definitely think it’s going to be bad for the city centre. We’re not a fan of the decision.”
Miss Gee’s Bar and Eatery also stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. Owner Ashleigh Gee declined to comment on the new closing hours.
She previously told Local Democracy Reporting the 2am closing time would impact her business “pretty extensively”.
Mainstreet Tauranga chairwoman and Miss Gee’s Bar and Eatery owner Ashleigh Gee. Photo / Alex Cairns
”It would’ve impacted a lot of the bars, and that would trickle backwards into people being less likely to go to the CBD for dinner and after-dinner drinks, because the vibe would just basically evaporate.”
The Local Alcohol Policy also included other changes, such as shifting the time shops with an off-licence could start selling alcohol from 7am to 10am. New liquor stores would not be allowed to open in areas with a deprivation index of nine or more.
