5am license granted before the freeze
Melt (finalist for Nightclub of the Year at the Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards in 2008) has a brand spanking new 5am license.
After months of battling with authorities Melt licensee Walter Tuarae finally managed to extend his license after the OLGR could no longer come up with any reasonable objections for the new trading hours.
Melt was granted its extended hours just two weeks before the liquor license freeze came into force.
Since September 1st the doors at Melt have been open till 5am for everyone to enjoy the new cosy downstairs bar area for 50 people (which includes a kick ass juke box) while upstairs has continued to blow crowds away with mayhem, great cocktails and an eclectic mix of music; funk, house, pop, indie, electro funk, and more.
Melt cites its reasons for seeking extended trading was to give patrons who were not ready to leave at its previous closing time of 3am the option of staying on and avoiding transport issues and crowds that are ejected onto the streets at this time.
Anyone who has worked in the Cross will be well acquainted with the issues surrounding changeover: Literally hundreds of patrons are on the streets with very few choices of where to go, no public transport infrastructure, no police presence (although at 9pm they are more happy to venture into every bar with sniffer dogs), and cabbies who will only pick up the highest bidder.
It’s a positive result for the bar and, indeed, for the Kings Cross area which generally only receives negative press.