Final weekend for Wellington bar The Establishment after failed bid to renew liquor licence

Friday, 7 January 2022

The Establishment will close indefinitely on Sunday, after failing to secure a renewed liquor licence and being purchased by a new owner.

A Courtenay Place bar once labelled one of Wellington’s most high-risk bars will celebrate its final weekend before closing indefinitely.

The Establishment, located on the corner of Courtenay Place and Blair St, will open for its final night on Saturday before its owner, Jose Ubiaga, begins a large renovation, with plans to open a new bar in early April.

Ubiaga, who also owns Dakota Bar and The Residence on Courtenay Place, purchased The Establishment from its former owner, Andrew Gibson, in June last year, following an alcohol licensing hearing in April, which resulted in a failed bid to renew the licence.

The bar’s current licence is due to lapse on January 17.

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As part of its evidence in opposition to The Establishment’s licence, police alleged dozens of assault and disorder incidents had taken place, including people throwing glass bottles at officers from the balcony.

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Jose Ubiaga at his bar Dakota. Ubiaga purchased The Establishment last year and plans to reopen a new bar in the building after it failed to secure a renewed alcohol licence.

Regional public health, police, a Wellington City Council licensing inspector, and a third-party objector all opposed the renewal.

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Police provided evidence that Gibson wasn’t suitable to hold the licence, after being convicted for drink-driving and being assessed as intoxicated by officers while at the bar.

They alleged more than 100 incidents involving intoxication, violence, and disorder, had taken place at the bar, which advertised to a student demographic, over a four and a half year period.

Authorities also raised concerns about inadequate training and systems of staff and the price of alcohol specials and their promotion, particularly to the student clientele.

When releasing its decision in October, the Wellington District Licensing Committee said the bar had failed to carry out the responsibilities required for holding a licence, and to comply with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

The bar had been operating for about 17 years, Ubiaga said, with a good reputation for the majority of the time.

“The Establishment had a really good brand, and did really well for a large number of years, and [it] did have a really good reputation. I would say, probably the last three or four years, that reputation has been tarnished by quite a lot, it's gone downhill,” he said.

Ubiaga now plans to reopen a bar appealing to the 20-30s “young corporate” demographic, pending an alcohol licensing hearing in February.

“It's a big site, it's a major player on Courtenay Place, and it should be a vibrant venue,” he said.

He plans to implement a “really good security team” and Patronscan software, a machine used by bouncers to scan IDs, to minimise issues within the venue.

“Places on Courtenay Place are in dire need of rejuvenation. There's already numerous venues that are shut down.

“I have spent 20 years on Courtenay Place, I have a lot of experience, and I want to work with the police to keep the street clean,” he said.

A second bar deemed high risk, The George on Willis St, had its hours slashed by the council’s district licensing committee last year, amid wider concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour in the central city.