High hopes for indoor play area vanish as Benny’s Hangar goes bust

Monday, 8 July 2024

Benny’s Hangar creator Ben Scott, pictured in May, announced on Saturday that his entertainment centre has gone into liquidation.

Benny’s Hangar, an ambitious Christchurch indoor entertainment venue dreamed up by local barber Ben Scott to offer the likes of archery, axe throwing and mini golf, has gone into liquidation.

Two companies of which Scott is sole director - Benny’s Hangar Ltd and Benny’s Barber Shop Ltd, went into liquidation on Friday, though the latter will continue under new owners and with Scott as an employee.

Ben Scott of Benny’s Barber Shop is opening Benny's Hangar - a place full of activities for all ages.

A liquidator has been appointed to the two companies, but is yet to make a report.

“It’s been one hell of a 10-year journey,” Scott wrote on Facebook on Saturday morning.

“From a small dream of starting a barbershop from my parent’s front yard in a caravan, I gave this my all and came up short. A lot of learning to come from this.”

Scott said that the Sydenham barber shop, the city's largest place for a haircut, has been “picked up out of liquidation and will continue to operate under new ownership”.

Six barbers, including Scott himself, were working at the busy Sydenham shop when The Press visited at lunchtime on Saturday.

Ben Scott tried to raise $750,000 for his entertainment centre, Benny’s Hangar, through PledgeMe, but the campaign closed with a big shortfall. (File photo)

Scott repeatedly refused to discuss his business situation, referring questions to the liquidator, who did not reply to requests for comment.

Scott began his barber business in a caravan in his parents’ front yard in Burnside in 2014.

Within three years, he turned his passion for barbering into Benny's Barber Shop – a business that blends basketball, coffee, and clipper cuts.

Activities on offer were to have included paintball.

In 2023, he began fitting out a disused, former Air Force hangar in Wigram, and registered the company Benny’s Hangar Ltd that April.

The venue, an enormous 1800m² space with a 400m² mezzanine floor, was to have been a vibrant indoor playground featuring a range of activities, including a pump track, archery, axe throwing, and mini golf.

“It’s a crazy spot. It’s like a kids-gone-wild dream,” Scott told The Press in May this year.

It is unclear whether or how much money is owed to creditors - a liquidator is yet to make a report.

The Wigram hangar was 80% complete, but contractors and suppliers were owed about $400,000, leading to a crowdfunding effort to pay them.

During the fundraising, work on the hangar was halted and redundancies were made to ensure no more debt was incurred.

Benny's Barber Shop has been “picked up out of liquidation and will continue to operate under new ownership”, Scott said - and he will still work there on Saturdays.

Scott tried to raise $750,000 for his entertainment centre through PledgeMe, but the campaign closed on May 22 with a big shortfall, ending with just $72,711 from 107 people — less than a tenth of the target.

As of March 1, works completed and fully paid amounted to $495,000. However, there was still $402,000 worth of completed work awaiting payment.

The remaining amount required to complete the project was estimated at $228,000.

Announcing the liquidation, Scott said he had been hired by the new owners and that he would be back cutting hair on Saturdays.

“All current barber shop team remains the same and will be business as usual.

“As this chapter comes to an end, I’m grateful for the opportunity to jump in with the team and work alongside under the new ownership.”