A Tauranga pub and connecting bottle shop have been stripped of their liquor licences after “repeated” breaches of the law.
The Welcome Bay Sports Bar and Grill and the Welcome Bay Super Liquor bottle store attached to the bar will no longer be able to sell alcohol following a recent hearing at the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA).
Both establishments would remain closed “for the foreseeable future”, the council has said.
According to the Tauranga City Council, the bar sold alcohol to an underaged person twice, in November 2023 and November 2024.
Police had also applied to the ARLA three times over “repeated” other breaches of the law in August and November 2024.
The police applications said a named duty manager was not present on the premises, and a staff member did not have a current manager’s certificate.
“Both premises failed to have properly certified managers when alcohol was sold,” Tauranga City Council said.
In its decision, the ARLA said the bar had conceded that “the applications are justified…and (the Authority) can, if appropriate in the Authority’s view, cancel both the on-licence and the off-licence held by the respondent”.
The bar and liquor store’s licences were cancelled “by consent”. The bans went into effect on March 18.
Tauranga City Council alcohol licensing team leader Sam Kemp said the decision should come as a “timely reminder” to other establishments to follow the rules.
“The failure to adhere to some basic procedures and work practices have had serious results for this licensee. My team is obliged to monitor for, investigate and report such failings to the Authority”, he said.
“While the decision and outcome ultimately lie with the Authority, the responsibility and due diligence to operate compliantly lies squarely with the operators of businesses that sell and supply alcohol”.
Kemp said there had been “several enquiries” about whether the bar and bottle shop would re-open under new ownership. He said that while this was possible, both would remain closed for the “foreseeable future”.
