Dog with Two Tails in Moray Pl will close its doors for good at the end of the month, having failed to sell the business in October last year.
One of Dunedin’s only remaining live music and entertainment venues, it will now join the ranks of Sammy’s and Starters in the legacy of late and great Dunedin venues.
Dog with Two Tails manager Phoebe Churcher said the closure was sad and unexpected but did not catch them completely off-guard.
"Everything seemed fine on Monday. By Friday, we were told we were closing," Ms Churcher said.
Dog with Two Tails did not have the capacity to provide a targeted experience and meet customer expectations.
"It’s such an amazing space and you could do so much here but with the resources we had, it just wasn’t possible."
It hosted open-mic, poetry and quiz nights and provided opportunities for local musicians in neighbouring sound space Bark!
This area had since been soundproofed after receiving a number of noise complaints from neighbouring properties.
The business did not charge any of their performers for use of the venue.
Ms Churcher also thought that affording a bar experience was a financial problem for many people.
While it attracted many customers and packed the venue, few actually spent money at the bar.
At its busiest it would only make between $1000 and $1500 a night.
Save Dunedin Live Music spokesman David Bennett said the closure of Dog with Two Tails was "definitely really sad".
"We’re at a critically endangered level of music venues within Dunedin and to lose any is a massive hit to the music scene," Mr Bennett said.
He said noise complaints were "definitely a contributing factor" to the closure and affected people’s attitudes about businesses.
Fears of quotas and horror stories of noise control showing up to bars meant people were less likely to take a chance opening new venues, he said.
To give venues a better chance of surviving, there needed to be changes in noise regulation.
"Now is the time to really put in the effort before we’re completely robbed."
Local artist Jenny Beatrix was deeply dismayed by the closure of Dog with Two Tails.
"A jewel has been stolen from the crown of Dunedin’s venues," she said.
