Pop Bar owner Steve Hannagan fronted a District Licensing Committee hearing yesterday, and said the police proposal for him to begin the one-way policy from 3am would take a considerable chunk of his trade.
Mr Hannagan was arguing the policy should begin at 3.30am.
The police proposal did not affect the bar's closing time, which would remain at 4am.
As a late-night venue, the bar usually started ''gathering a crowd'' by about 1am, although it was often only beginning to fill up after 2am, Mr Hannagan told the committee.
''For us historically that last half hour is pretty critical, in terms of trying to get a bit of trade.''
He also cited several changes the bar had made over the past two years to alleviate problems associated with patron intoxication and violence.
Extended food options, a surveillance camera, improved lighting, and a significant effort to implement a strict dress policy were all mentioned.
But Dunedin police's alcohol harm reduction officer, Sergeant Ian Paulin, said while the listed measures had been in place for some time, the rate of intoxicated patrons offending had not diminished.
Police had witnessed a group of four men who appeared drunk being admitted to the bar last year, and were then called to the bar where the men had been involved in an assault with a blunt weapon.
In another serious assault last year, in which a female police officer was viciously assaulted by a man, police had discovered the offender had left Pop Bar just a few moments before the attack, Sgt Paulin said.
He said there was a growing move in the inner-city area for late night venues to have one-way-door policies from 3am, and research showed such policies did reduce offending.
Commissioner Colin Weatherall said the committee would deliver a finding in writing over the coming weeks.
