Eleven Bar owner Prakash Khattri said yesterday until August last year, his energies were focused on his Cromwell restaurant, India Garden.
But the busy nightclub, in the Octagon, now was his focus.
Shortly after Eleven Bar opened in December 2021 it came to police attention.
By February 28 last year, a formal warning had been issued.
Now, the application for the renewal of Eleven Bar’s liquor licence has been opposed by police, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s medical officer of health, the licensing inspector and Students for Sensible Drug Policy Dunedin.
Yesterday, Mr Khattri told Dunedin’s district licensing committee that it was a matter of months before he learned of the police warning.
He said he relied on the managers and the other owners.
"I was just an investor in the business," he said.
Mr Khattri said he was an experienced restaurant owner, but someone who was less experienced on "the alcohol side of things".
Nevertheless, changes had been made at the bar - starting in the kitchen and with improved staff training - and other changes would follow.
An "improvement plan" had been drawn up, Mr Khattri said.
He had previously only visited the Dunedin establishment once every two or three weeks until late last year.
Now, he was present four days a week, and was there every Friday and Saturday night, he said.
He had met with a consultant to further the improvements under way.
Nevertheless, through questioning by those who objected to the renewal of his licence it was revealed the improvement plan was outlined on only three single-sided typed pages. It had been drafted only last week.
He admitted he had hired a staff member who was fired from their previous job for giving free drinks to a friend.
When he initially filled out the application form he indicated he would be selling alcohol until 4am, a breach of local liquor rules.
He listed himself as a manager, though his manager’s certificate had expired.
Further, the 50% shareholder, told the committee he had been in the process of becoming the sole owner before the sale process was interrupted by the present liquor licence issues.
Ownership has already changed in the company’s short life, but it was not reported to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (Arla), as required.
The present hearing comes ahead of separate proceedings in front of Arla next month for the licensee and three duty managers.
Police opposition to the renewal is based on concerns about breaching conditions on the licence, intoxicated people at the premises, disregard of Covid regulations regarding gatherings of people, and a disregard of food safety regulations.
Police witnesses will give evidence when the hearing resumes.
