Hamilton bars could raise age restriction, local owner tells Mike Hosking

House Bar on Hood St in Hamilton. Photo / Christine Cornege

Higher age restrictions could loom for Hamilton bars, a local venue owner said.

John Lawrenson, of Lawrenson Group, spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking about House on Hood going back to being a “20+” venue this morning, after he lowered the age restriction last year.

Lawrenson said he wouldn’t be surprised if some local venues would impose an even higher age restriction, like R23.

“We sort of seen other bars dabble in it in the past – we actually have with a couple of venues as well. In [House on Hood], previously been 20-plus, dropped it back to 18 for a while just to give ... the 18-year-olds a few more options in Hamilton, but unfortunately they really blew it for themselves and going back to 20 seems like the only really logical approach now.”

Talking to the Waikato Herald, Lawrenson said since lowering the age restriction at House on Hood, fights had increased, several toilets had been broken, glasses were “smashed” and furniture was broken.

He said there was a difference between 18- and 20-year-olds when it came to drinking alcohol.

“When someone’s 18, it’s really just their very first time, sort of out in that environment, they’re just learning how much alcohol they can drink, what’s acceptable behaviour, what other people in the bar will put up with, what the security will put up with,” Lawrenson told Hosking.

“By the time you are 20, you’ve been doing it for two or three years. And I mean, you are also talking about people that are 21, 22, 23. You know, they’re five years into their social life and really don’t want to be around people that are just discovering alcohol for the first time.”

He said he had received “incredibly little” pushback about the move.

“We knew when we ... made the post [announcing the age restriction] that there might be a bit of arguing between the 18- and the 20-year-olds, but what ended up happening was just an overwhelming outflow of support and gratitude from the people that were over 20, that they could go back to a bar that they enjoy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by House on Hood (@houseonhood)

“The 18-year-olds have said very little. I wonder if they probably accept deep down there is a lot of truth in what’s been said.”

Hamiltonian Ruby Blezzard turned 18 in September and told the Waikato Herald she felt the ban was “unfair” and she had never seen anything being damaged when she attended the bar; however, she understood how that could happen.

Lawrenson also gave Hosking a snapshot of the local hospitality industry.

“It’s pretty tough out there.

“I think especially Auckland and Hamilton, we took a lot more heat during Covid with those extra lockdowns, when we were in the red setting for a lot longer than the rest of the country was. And you know ... the economy is definitely not bouncing back as we would hope it would.

“The interest rates coming down ... isn’t making a difference yet. It’s pretty tough out there ... but this should be a better year.”