The owner of a Wharf Street bar in downtown Tauranga has been told their business isn't good enough to be part of the street's new dining precinct as it is 'not part of a dining experience”.

Settlers Bar owner Chris Wade says they were not even consulted about the decision, which she says is very disappointing.

Settlers Bar, on Wharf Street, is being excluded from the new dining precinct concept. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

'After we put in our application it went on for several months,” says Chris. 'I thought ‘why is it taking such a long time?'

'It's not as if it was a whole new licence application. It's an alteration to our existing licensed area.”

She eventually received an email from the liquor licencing department at Tauranga City Council stating that Settlers Bar's application to extend its licence to occupy area was declined by all three bodies – police, liquor licencing and health – based on the fact that they're 'not part of a dining experience”.

'We supply enough food to comply with our liquor licencing,” insists Chris.

'We are really disappointed because it was a group thing that was only really going to work with big involvement from the street. We were quite prepared to do more food.”

Settlers currently does pub food, including sausage rolls, pies and pizzas explains Chris.

'It's not set up as a restaurant, but we comply with the amount of food we sell,” she adds.

'You need to have three hot options for food and we probably have about five or six, but they decided we are not an eatery so we could not be involved.”

She received one email asking if Settlers was going to change its menu, but Chris insists no one from the authorities told her it would be reconsidered if she increased her food options.

'We've got the option to buy in from any of the restaurants in the area,” she adds.

'We have all their menus on hand. Anyone of them will bring in a full meal.

'But no, it's a case of ‘you're are not a part of it – see you later'. It's not in the spirit of the thing is it? We are very disappointed. We feel it's going to impinge on the whole concept.

There are quite a few other businesses in the street are not going to be a part of it because they already have big, outside areas. These days you have got to be very careful what you spend and I can understand why they don't want to be part of it.”

Settlers is out, as is MoMo Teppan Yaki next door because their style, to cook at table, is not going to work because of the outdoor tables. The Thai restaurant on the other side of Settlers is also not taking part in the concept.

'So they said you can go for a public hearing and fight it, or you can just accept it,” says Chris.

'I'm done fighting with the council. You may as well beat your head up against a brick wall. So we just said we will accept it. We are right in the middle of it anyway, and a hearing would cost thousands.

'We had actually paid the fee we pay through Mainstreet. We had paid two months of the fee that covers the furniture. It's a contribution to what's happening in the street.”

Mainstreet was sympathetic and gave the fees – two lots of $400 plus GST – back.

However, that tavern was encouraged to apply for the extended on licence for a further $800, and council have flatly refused a refund despite rejecting the application.

Chris says: 'When I asked the council for our fees back they said no, because they have gone to the bother of putting the application before the three different authorities. So tough bikkies.

'The whole concept was for the street to be like a food hall. If the kids want sushi, mum and dad want Japanese and grandma wants Thai, you could all bring your meal to one table and dine together.

'How is that going to work when everybody is working off a different liquor licence?”

Tauranga City Council's team leader environmental health and housing, Darrienne Daubney, says Settlers application to extend its on-licence attracted objections from all reporting agencies.

'Settlers were advised of these objections and they withdrew their application,” says Darrienne.

'Availability of food is considered as part of all liquor applications. Settlers is operated as a tavern, not a restaurant, so they don't have kitchen facilities that would allow them to match food with an expanded area for serving alcohol.

'Their track record and recent suspension of their liquor licence would have also been considered.”

Chris says the liquor licensing authority suspended the tavern's licence for one day because, in a reference for a staff member, she said the employee had worked longer than she actually had.

The incident, however, was not related to the running of the tavern.