Establishment 2.0 to close, new bar to open

Thursday, 27 March 2025

Estab 2.0 owner Mike Drummond says the bar’s landlord got a better offer, which has led to his premises closing down.

Only a few months after it opened, the Establishment 2.0 has closed its doors.

Auckland restaurant chain Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 would be opening on Courtenay Place in September, owner Paul Wong confirmed.

The restaurants will open at 16 Courtenay Place, which was previously the location of Estab 2.0, with Mike Drummond confirming the bar had permanently closed.

The original Establishment restaurant and bar, pictured in 2021.

The bar had styled itself as the second iteration of The Establishment - known locally as Estab - a venue that was on Courtenay Place for 17 years until its closure in early 2022.

The venue’s reputation may have influenced its closure, with Stuff reporting the police alleged more than 100 incidents had taken place there over a four-year period.

However, during an interview with The Post last year, Drummond had said he had been confident he could bring the bar around.

The hospitality vendor said on Wednesday Estab 2.0 had closed as its landlord had gotten a “bigger and better” offer from the Lucky 8 owner.

Drummond said it was “a bit of a shame,” as the bar had started to get on top of things, with Friday nights starting to draw in a decent crowd.

“It is what it is. It was a business decision… [they got] a much stronger offer and a sustained offer.”

The bar opened in December last year, only three months before it closed.

Courtenay Place on a quiet Thursday night. (File photo)

Crown Commercial agent Bryan Block said the landlord had opened the Establishment 2.0 during a quiet period, and it had always been planned to be a short-term venue while the search went on for a permanent tenant.

Because 16 Courtenay Place was such a large hospitality location, it wasn’t easy to find an operator to take on a big site and large rent, he said.

“[Eastab 2.0] was always planned as a temporary thing by the landlord. Rather than have the premises set empty, he wanted to see some life in there and bring in some money to cover the overheads of rates and insurance and everything else.”

Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 owner Paul Wong said the venue would have two venues under one roof - Lucky 8 on level 2, and Jungle 8 on Level 1.

The concept would try to mix together something new from the Asian fusion cuisines they already offered in Auckland, he said.

Lucky 8 offering a mix of Chinese and Japanese food and drinks, and Jungle 8 being more Vietnamese and Southeast Asian in its offerings, he said.

Customers came for food, but the bar would also be a draw, with a number of customers likely coming for drinks and cocktails, he said.

“There’s an elevated Asian street market feel to it, with a dining bar setting.”

When asked whether Wong had trepidations about joining Courtenay Place’s tumultuous hospitality scene, he said that he did not tend to look at what previously happened when opening eateries.

“If I've got a concept or thinking or thought process that would work in that site, I tend to go on that. So I just liked the corner site.

“Because we've got two brands and we can actually split the two sites between the two [levels], I think that's one of the main key things that I liked about it.”