Wellington bars snub offer of licence fee waiver if they make outdoor dining smokefree

Sunday, 23 July 2017

Wellington City Council has offered to waive annual outdoor dining licence fees to encourage cafes, bars and restaurants with outdoor dining areas to go smokefree - but bars have not taken up the offer.

Attempts to entice Wellington cafe owners to ban outdoor smoking by cutting their licence fees appear to have gone up in smoke.

Wellington City Council has offered to waive its annual outdoor dining licence fees for any cafes, bars or restaurants prepared to go smokefree.

Hospitality members are reluctant to take up the council's offer, fearing it will alienate some customers.

The incentive came into effect on July 1, but there have been no takers yet, with bar owners fearing it could alienate customers.

Matt McLaughlin, who owns Dirty Little Secret, Jack Hackett's, Four Kings and Danger Danger, is a non-smoker who supports the initiative – but he has not taken up the offer of a free licence.

Bar owner Matt McLaughlin says he supports the initiative, but has a business to run. 'A lot of owners are reluctant to take that risk, because it could scare a lot of customers away.'

Nick Mills, who owns Siglo, Bettys, Public and Spruce Goose, wants to cater for all customers.

* Justin Lester launches mayoral campaign promising rates rebates on first homes

* More New Zealand cafes and restaurants going totally smoke free

Wellington Hospitality Group chief executive Jamie Williams says the initiative is “nanny state mentality” and he has no intention of telling his customers what to do.

* Smokers on wrong side of public opinion in Wellington**

He 'applauded' mayor Justin Lester for doing something 'out of the box', and said it had been a tough decision to make.

'I've got a business to run. A beer and a smoke go hand-in-hand, and I think it will take one person to do it before anyone else gets on board.

'A lot of owners are reluctant to take that risk, because it could scare a lot of customers away.'

All hospitality venues using public spaces for outdoor dining must pay $95 a year to renew their pavement leases. They are then charged lease fees based on the size of the area.

In the central city, the fee is $45 a square metre, down from $90 previously. This fee will be waived completely for bars that go smokefree.

Hospitality New Zealand regional manager for greater Wellington Raewyn Tan there was a feeling of reluctance among cafe and bar owners, who believed a place to smoke was part of offering hospitality.

Members still wanted to cater for smoking clientele.

Businesses recouped the costs for outdoor dining from smokers, but that was not a consideration, she said. 'The general consensus around the city was 'we want to be inclusive'.'

Nick Mills, whose family owns several bars including Siglo, Public and Spruce Goose, said 'ripped off' by Lester, who promised to scrap the outdoor dining fees during his election campaign.

This year Lester announced outdoor dining fees for all businesses would be halved in the Annual Plan, adopted in June, and said the smokefree waiver was an additional incentive.

Mills said he was concerned smokers were being 'punished too harshly' when out for a good time.

He was taking a 'wait and see' approach because he believed there should be options for both sides.

'I understand people want a jug of beer and a smoke, but I also want to protect others. I don't want to hurt either party.'

Wellington Hospitality Group chief executive Jamie Williams, who runs Bethel Woods, Coene's, Borough, Brew'd bars and Mac's, said the council initiative was 'nanny state mentality'.

'I have no intention of telling my customers what to do, and a fee incentive does not change my opinion. It's not worth alienating customers to save $500 or $1000 a year.'

Acting Mayor Paul Eagle said the initiative was not meant to be an impediment to bar and cafe owners, and urged them to 'give it a go'.

If businesses wanted to use public space, 'there has to be some give and take, and a benefit for ratepayers'.

The bars got an economic benefit, while the public would reap social benefits, he said.

The feedback from Wellingtonians was that they would support giving up public space for smokefree areas.

Social development portfolio leader Brian Dawson said the extra reduction for smokefree venues was a great win for the capital, and would help the city aspire to its vision of being smokefree by 2025.