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It’s the downtown Auckland nightspot touting elite champagne table service in VIP booths.
But the party could be over at Club Kong after it allegedly failed to pay its bouncers and liquidators seized control of the premises.
Kong’s owner Zhaoxia “Loretta” Zhang told the Herald she has paid most ofthe money owed to the security firm and intends to challenge the liquidation proceedings in the courts.
The surprising turn of events for the hip-hop and R&B club came a few hours after Associate Judge Dani Gardiner placed 9th Entertainment Ltd, trading as Club Kong, into liquidation following an application in court by barrister Bruce Pamatatau, acting for Trust & Loyalty Security Limited.
Zhang was not represented at the hearing at the Auckland High Court on Friday morning and later said she was unaware it was taking place.
A notice was placed on the door of the club ahead of the hearing but Zhang said the club only operates on the weekends and the notice was removed by a cleaner.
A few hours after the liquidation order was made, representatives from Secure Collections and Investigations arrived at the club to take control of the building and change the locks on behalf of liquidator Ben Francis.
“Our immediate duty is to secure the premises,” Francis said.
Under the Companies Act, there are legal avenues via which a business is able to challenge a liquidation proceeding.
On social media the day before it was placed into liquidation, the club posted on Facebook that it was back “just in time for the weekend”.
A drinks package at one of Club Kong's VIP booths will set you back up to $999.
Secure Collections and Investigations owner Thomas James said on Friday afternoon there were no plans to operate the club at the weekend.
It’s understood part of the approximately $28,000 security bill has been paid back by the club, but several thousand dollars remains outstanding.
The move represents a blow for Zhang and comes as an Auckland Council inspector is making inquiries ahead of the club’s liquor licence renewal application.
Zhang also operates the nearby Little Easy pub in Fort St.
Club Kong ran afoul of authorities in 2015, when police successfully applied for a 48-hour suspension of its liquor licence for what was described as “allowing disorderly conduct in licensed premises”.
A council inspector’s report from 2018 said since the suspension, there had not been any major issues or concerns. Kong was duly granted a new alcohol licence without opposition from police, the inspector or the medical officer of health.
Police and the medical officer of health are again not opposing the latest application filed in 2021, but a licensing inspector is still making inquiries, a council spokeswoman confirmed.
Zhang told the Herald there were disputes over some invoices.
She said the first she heard of the liquidation was on Friday, the day the hearing took place.
“We want to dispute that.”
Club Kong plays host to many hip-hop and R&B acts.
A notice posted on the door of Club Kong advising of the liquidation hearing was removed by her cleaner, and the club only operated during the weekends, she said.
Zhang said she had paid $25,000 off the debt last month to the security firm last month and there were only a couple of invoices outstanding, amounting to a few thousand dollars.
She said Covid had been very difficult for Club Kong, which was forced to remain closed for lengthy periods.
In 2020, 9th Entertainment Ltd took a successful claim against a Christchurch company trying to trademark the name “Kong” for a cocktail and champagne bar.
A written decision from the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand said 9th Entertainment successfully argued the use of Kong by the Christchurch company was likely to “deceive and confuse consumers” given its existing trademark for Kong.
On its website, the club offers customers the chance to “experience the high life with Kong’s VIP booths and table service.
“Kong is proudly the only nightclub in Auckland that offers elite table service at this level with our exclusive hosts, bringing the ultimate nightlife experience to you.”
Prices for drinks packages start at $359 for “The Vodka Curve” rising to $999 for the “Ultimate Bottles on Bottles” package.
George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin.
