Tales from the Licensing Crypt: The Curse of the Forgotten Manager

The Tauranga locals said the tavern was cursed.

Perched on the edge of a quiet bay, it seemed like any other neighbourhood pub neon lights flickering, pool tables clacking, and cheap pints flowing. But behind the bar, something darker was brewing… a chilling disregard for the rules of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. One night, a shadowy figure strolled in young, too young and with no questions asked, was handed a drink. The music played on, but the ghosts of consequences stirred.

It didn’t happen just once. A year passed… and it happened again. A second underage sale, another forgotten ID check. And worse ,whispers began to circulate that on several nights, no certified duty manager was even on site. That’s when the inspectors arrived. Cloaked not in black robes, but high-vis vests and clipboards. What they found confirmed the rumours: multiple breaches, untrained staff, and the unmistakable scent of negligence.

The sentence came swiftly. In the cold, clinical halls of the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, the hammer fell. With immediate effect, the tavern's licence was stripped, and the adjoining bottle store lost its right to sell as well. For the owners, it was a death knell. The once-bustling venue was boarded up, and locals say the jukebox hasn’t played since. Some swear they still hear the clinking of ghostly pint glasses on quiet nights.

Let this be a warning to those who dabble in licensed premises without respect for the law. The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act is no dusty relic, it’s a living force, and when broken, it bites back. So this Halloween, make sure your bar or bottle store isn’t the next tale told from the crypt. Stay trained. Stay compliant. Or risk becoming… the next cautionary legend.