Shore pubs team up to make own zone

Paul Lomax (left) and Kevin Schwass have joined forces to create a fan area in Takapuna. Photo / Richard Robinson

Three Takapuna pubs have clubbed together to create a rugby zone in a bid to make sure the Rugby World Cup rainbow stretches to Auckland's North Shore.

Kevin Schwass, owner of Blankenberge Belgian Beer Cafe and Florrie McGreal's Irish Pub, has teamed up with The Elephant Wrestler, co-owned by Barworks Hospitality Group, to create the rugby zone for visitors in Takapuna.

By the end of the tournament the total cost will be about $40,000, including security, entertainment, decoration and six 127cm plasma televisions facing on to the footpath.

The cost of the bunting and decorations alone was about $10,000.

"There's definitely been business to have because we've done it and I would shudder to think what would have happened if we hadn't," Schwass said.

"That was part of my nervousness, I guess, is that the ray of sunshine was only going to shine on the [central business district] but that's why we felt we had to do something else and be a bit more proactive."

Planning for the tournament started nearly a year ago and included securing special licences to take over the footpath.

Turnover at Schwass' Irish bar was up 178 per cent, he said, while the Blankenberge was up 16 per cent since the start of the tournament as against the same time last year.

"I think anyone ... [thinking] they were just going to open their doors and reap the benefits ... were being naive."