Wellington authorities are putting a cork in bottomless brunches, saying too many people are "getting trolleyed" before lunch.
Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said there were reports of people stumbling through the city drunk after attending all you can eat and drink brunches (file image). Photo: 123rf.com
A small number of the city's bars and restaurants offer "all you can eat and drink", fixed-price deals, a relatively new phenomenon that's popular in places like London and New York.
Wellington City Council and police are warning the practice could affect a bar's liquor license rules, which are supposed to prevent people drinking too much.
Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said there were reports of people stumbling through the city drunk after attending these brunches.
"They're a deal where you apparently go along to a bar and pay $50 or $60 or $70 and you get to drink as much as you like over a set period ... and presumably somewhere in there you get scrambled eggs or avocado on toast as well," MacLean said.
"We've had these complaints and situations over the past few months of people getting - what's the technical term? Trolleyed. Getting trolleyed before lunch - which is probably not a good thing.
"These things were getting a little bit out of hand by all accounts. Pubs shouldn't be encouraging irresponsible drinking."
The council had come to an arrangement with bar owners that saw patrons get three or four drink tokens over a set time, "rather than people drinking so much they're walking sideways down the street at two o'clock in the afternoon", MacLean said.
Hospitality New Zealand president Jeremy Smith said bottomless brunches could be run responsibly and should not be shut down.
Smith - who is also the director of city bars El Horno, Lulu's and The Arborist - said it was wrong to target a single event.
Whatever the time of day, if a customer appeared intoxicated, they would be refused service, he said.
His bars have stopped such promotions for the time being.
"The whole thing is it doesn't change our responsibility," Smith said.
"So if police and liquor licensing are saying they think some bars are not applying the [Sale and Supply of Alcohol] Act correctly, then go and talk to them. But don't pick on a particular promotion and say it's the promotion that's causing [problems]."
One bar that still offers an unlimited drinks option is The Hudson, tucked down Chew's Lane off Willis St in Wellington.
Bar manager Dan Booth said every Saturday morning the dining hall was packed with bottomless brunchers - there's even a waitlist.
"It's very popular, we have a decent waiting list. It's a good way for establishments to make money especially at the weekends and especially in this part of town."
Dan Booth, bar manager at The Hudson. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
The Hudson is at the business end of the CBD - where foot traffic dwindles during the weekend.
For $50, punters get a brunch style meal - a big breakfast, pancakes or a burger, and can choose from an uncapped list of drinks which includes a lager, mimosa or Aperol spritz.
Booth said the drinks on offer have a low alcohol content, and keep punters from getting too sloshed within the two-hour time limit. There's also no "double-parking" and no skulling drinks.
If people do appear to be getting drunk, staff are taught to slow down drinks service and - if need be - cut the customer off.
He said they have had very few problems with unruly patrons.
"Everyone is generally well-behaved. If there's any signs of intoxication we're quite notorious for clamping down on it. We have no issues with not serving people."
Young people on the streets of Wellington bemoaned the council's crackdown, with one university student saying she'd been looking forward to going to her first bottomless brunch as it was "a good way to get drunk on the weekend".
Others said it was "just a bit of fun" and explained the service was too slow to get more than four or five drinks in anyway.
However, some locals thought the limit was fair, with one local woman saying "if it's unlimited, you're always going to get those people who go over and above their limits, and that probably is a problem for the city".
