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Real Estate News Releases
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(EstateNewsWire.com, November 10, 2012 ) Matthews, NC- Ever since Christchurch City council’s district licensing authority (DLA) announced that their office would be accepting applications for liquor licenses, DLA has been flooded with applications.
The latest count on Wednesday showed that there were 53 applications submitted to the office. It is safe to say, then, that the race is on for Christchurch's restaurants and bars to return to the central city in time for the busy summer season.
Out of the 53 applications, 14 were for central city premises and 28 were opening (or reopening) for the first time since the February 22, 2011 earthquake. One of these restaurants applying for their license in central city is Cafe Valentino, which reopened in St, Asaph St this past Wednesday, in a former bike shop. Its first location on Colombo Street, it stood there for 20 years to become a community establishment, was destroyed in the February quake.
The owner of Cafe Valentino, Michael Turner, said that the application process is "tentatively exciting,” as it presents the perfect opportunity to start “totally again.” Turner described that training new staff and getting insurance and consents for an old building nearly a century old was, at times, "overwhelming” and burdensome.
Turner stated, “Cafe Valentino belongs in the central business area. It's a natural meeting place, you meet in town. I'm just hoping as the rebuilt builds, that people [will] come back . . .[and] it's a beautiful building. It was strengthened in 2007 and that saved it. We feel we've done the building justice."
Gary Lennan , the council inspections and enforcement manager, said normal numbers for new liquor licence applications fluctuated between 20 and 30 at this time of year. Lennan described, “Considering what was lost, we expected a surge in applications. . . I anticipate this trend to continue in the short term as the centre of town redevelops.”
Twenty-five out of 53 applications were for premises which had been operating under transferred liquor licences. These businesses also decided to remain in their new locations. Eight applications were on “hold,” meaning they could not be processed due to location or the state of their building. Another 42 files remained active, as their applications were lodged pre-earthquake. However, these venues cannot be occupied as of yet, as they were within the CBD cordon, Lennan explained.
The Canterbury president of Hospitality New Zealand, Peter Morrison, explained that the significant increase in applications was "a good sign for the industry,” as it means that things are now returning back to normal. The pre-Christmas season traditionally saw a rush of bars and restaurants opening. The CBD is now becoming a more desirable location thanks to the new Government blueprint. Lennan said, "They're excited about the new plan, there's going to be so much more potential."
The most current statistics in New Zealand show that the number of Christchurch cafes and restaurants dropped by nearly 20% the year after the February 2011 quake, with about 550 remaining as of February this year. Morrison said anyone who could reopen their restaurant safely could expect a good summer season. Overall, most business owners have found that obtaining liquor licenses has gone smoothly, so far, but building and resource consents are being approved very slowly. Morrison said that, overall in Canterbury, nothing was booming, as “most retail [is] very stagnant."
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Source: EmailWire.Com 
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