Take two: Establishment 2.0 owner ready for Wellington

Friday, 15 November 2024

Establishment 2.0 owner Mike Drummond is looking forward to returning the bar to its former glory, he says.

Mike Drummond wants us to wish him luck.

The Establishment’s newest owner has come down from Auckland to check out the bar he has just purchased ‒ soon to be renamed The Establishment 2.0, he told The Post.

The title harkens back to the venue’s former name, The Establishment ‒ known to locals as ‘Estab.’

The Establishment sat at the corner of Courtenay Place and Blair St for about 17 years, until its closure in early 2022.

The venue had become controversial during its latter years, with Stuff reporting the police alleged more than 100 incidents had taken place there over a four-year period.

The venue lost its liquor licence, after which it passed into Jose Ubiaga’s ownership, becoming SugarWoods. It closed down in August with declining foot traffic and the general economic downturn blamed in the liquidators’ report.

The Establishment closed in 2022 after 17 years, but new owner Mike Drummond plans to bring it back. (file)

Drummond was confident he could bring the bar around.

The owner has a long history in the industry, having worked in hospitality for more than a decade as a young man. He worked his first hospitality job at The Totara Lodge in Upper Hutt.

Regarding The Establishment, it was the bar’s reputation that he wanted to change, Drummond said.

“That was then, this is now.”

Aside from the latter years, he believed the bar had a great run, with most locals having “an Estab story” under their belts ‒ including his own daughter, who used to work there.

“It’s got a bit of a chequered history, but it’s also got a very long and good history … I want to move forward, and I want to prove that we can have this site running well and running to the licensing laws, and providing a good, fun, safe place for the younger generation to New Zealand to experience, like we did when I was young.“

With Hummingbird set to reopen, and newcomers like a “British-style pub” BL3 set to open their doors, it was time to start building some hype around the area again, he said.

“I just want to work on those positive attributes and get a bit of hype back down here, but provide a good, safe, clean, friendly environment.”

He also had plans to meet with Jeremy Smith, a member of the Courtenay Place revival group.

Many businesses worry if a Golden Mile revamp goes ahead next year, the construction could hit them hard.

Drummond said he had heard the controversy surrounding the Golden Mile upgrades, and, while nervous, would wait to see what would happen.

“Right now, Wellington needs businesses to be open.”

Safety measures had already been put in place at the bar, including a glass barrier around the balcony, he said.

Drummond said he would be working with local security groups, and planned to hire multiple duty managers and a sizeable staff to run the place and comply with liquor laws.

He was looking at a December opening but said he couldn’t comment on a date yet.

He’d spoken to a few of the business owners in the areas, with Drummond saying communication between the different bars was a key part of keeping everyone safe.

“I want to work together with the bars in the area … Because if I send someone out from here and then he goes next to BL3 or down to the Tasting Room, what have we achieved?”

It’s a rough time for hospitality at the moment, particularly in Wellington. Drummond acknowledged this, saying he was working with the space’s landlord to get the bar back up and running.

Coming from a sales and management stint, he said he was looking forward to coming back to a sector he was passionate about.

“There's two things I love. There's cars and having a good time. So I couldn't find a job in the car industry, right? So I've come back to what I know, and that's hospitality.”