Grocery stores at war over liquor licence bids
TWO Wellington grocery store owners with 15 years of intertwined history are up against one another in what could be a makeor-break licensing battle.
The stoush between the two shops, which sit opposite each other in Aro St, played out at the Wellington City Council district licensing committee yesterday.
Patel’s Superette and the Aro Valley Mini Mart were both applying to the committee for a licence to sell alcohol, and the Mini Mart owners were objecting to the Superette’s application.
The coveted licence to sell booze could be the making of one of the stores, and the death of the other.
Manjula Patel ran the Four Square Patel’s Superette with her late husband at 103 Aro St for 15 years. In July, she was forced to shut up shop when landlord Has Patel – no relation – did not renew the lease, instead letting the space to his own family to run a new store.
His nephew-in-law, Jayesh Patel – who used to work for Manjula – and business partner Raj Solanki opened the Aro Valley Mini Mart there about three months ago.
Manjula moved Patel’s Superette across the road to 100 Aro St.
Both sides had lawyered up for the licensing battle, which had all the drama in cross-examinations of a high-profile criminal case.
Solanki said that, if both stores were given liquor licences, the competition could lead to cut-price alcohol, which would not be good for the community.
Mini Mart’s lawyer, Andrea Pazin, questioned Patel’s Superette’s suitability as a licensee, and brought forward four objectors.
Among the arguments they put forward were that the Mini Mart family were the ‘‘original’’ Patels.
In the other corner, Manjula Patel’s lawyer, Gary Turkington, said if only one liquor licence could be granted, it should be his client’s, because the Superette would sell less of it.
Manjula Patel had sold alcohol at her previous store for 15 years without a problem, he said. She had decided not to oppose the Mini Mart’s application because ‘‘we can live with both’’. It was important to any grocery store to be able to sell liquor, he said.
Speaking outside the hearing, Manjula Patel said she had known the opposing family for a long time, and their opposition felt like a kick in the guts.
Friend Vinod Hira said the opposition to her licence included ‘‘no-one from the Aro Valley community, just friends and family’’.
Aro Valley resident Kane Salanoa, who started an online petition for Manjula Patel when her lease ran out, said that he thought the community still supported her.
‘‘I still see regulars going in and out of the store, plus having the booze at the back of the store in a separate room [as she plans] will be good for not excessively promoting alcohol in the community.’’
The committee did not say how many, if any, licences it was prepared to grant. However, it was noted that there were already two off-licence holders – Garage Project and Shalimart – within 200 metres of both stores.
The hearing was adjourned until November 12.