Mr North said the cafe had created a culture which included live music and had been used as a venue for live music for the past 15 years.
Since taking over ownership eight years ago, Mr North had implemented rules to eliminate the risk of complaints, such as finishing before 8.30pm and limiting performances to once a week.
He said there had been no complaints in the time he had owned the cafe.Mr North also stressed the importance of the music for the wider community. He said the gigs were often used as fundraisers for local charities, including Aspiring Avalanche Dogs, the Coastguard, Forest & Bird, and others.
"The Avalanche Dogs one, that’s probably our busiest night of the year. The profits of the night go to them.
"There’s quite a few charities, some of whom rely on those gigs and others don’t. In total, the charity donations we make over the year come to about $20,000, so it’s significant for many people," Mr North said.
"Being banned from that isn’t just a kick in the teeth for us, it feels like it’s a community problem."
"If [the board] were supportive of us finding a way forward and find a process by which we can easily apply to continue what we’re doing, we feel it would be a positive outcome for the whole town centre and maybe help others who follow suit and do something similar in the future."
The council had recommended Kai Whakapai apply for a licence to occupy a road reserve, but Mr North would rather find an alternative solution.
"It’s very open-ended, onerous, and it might cost us a lot in the meantime," he said.
Cr Calum McLeod agreed.
"I’m not 100% sure a licence to occupy is the right way to go about it. If you have a licence to occupy the road reserve, what’s to stop the likes of Lake Bar and others from doing the same thing? Then you have bands all competing with each other and it gets a bit out of control. I’ve had a discussion with staff and I think there is a way forward that will suit everyone."
"I look forward to a positive resolution," he said.
