A Dunedin fizzy drinks institution may face a flat future as it fights to retain its alcohol licence after more than a century in business.
West's (NZ) Ltd, which has been trading for 139 years, has been selling alcohol as well as fizzy drinks and flavoured syrups from its South Dunedin factory store for much of that time.
But the company has hit turbulent waters after an application to renew its existing off-licence, needed for alcohol sales, was opposed by Medical Officer of Health Dr Marion Poore.
West's is located in close proximity to King's and Queen's high schools, and is a popular stop for high school pupils buying fizzy drinks before school.
Dr Poore worried the store's layout meant alcohol and associated advertising were ''clearly visible'' to unaccompanied minors, who were attracted into ''an off-licence environment''.
That was contrary to the provisions of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, and a ''precautionary approach'' should be applied, she argued.
If the business wanted to continue to target ''two such incompatible markets'' - children buying fizzy drinks and adults buying alcohol - then a second, separated premises would be needed, she said.
Dr Poore's opposition was first lodged in April last year, after West's applied in March that year to renew the store's off-licence.
However, her opposition appeared to have been ''overlooked'' when the renewal was eventually granted in September this year, a report by Dunedin City Council liquor licensing co-ordinator Kevin Mechen said.
That came after the store had made changes to screen alcohol displays from pupils visiting before school.
That was not good enough for Dr Poore, who emailed committee chairman Colin Weatherall to complain about ''deficient process''.
A rehearing of the application, and her objection, would be ''the correct course of action'', she said.
Otherwise, the ''only alternative'' would be an appeal to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, ''which would then lead to the failure of process being rather publicly displayed'', she wrote.
That meant the store's off-licence application would be heard at a meeting of the Dunedin City Council's district licensing committee on Wednesday.
Dr Poore's objection was the only one received, after police opted not to oppose the licence's renewal and no public objections were lodged.
Instead, King's High School assistant principal Darin Smith wrote in support of West's, saying the business regularly backed school ventures and was an ''outstanding and well-respected organisation in our community''.
Mr Mechen could not be contacted yesterday and West's director Alf Loretan declined to comment ahead of the hearing.
However, in a letter to the committee, Mr Loretan said the company had a ''long-standing association'' with alcohol, as well as its other products, dating back to its earliest days manufacturing alcoholic root and ginger beer.
''We make a concerted effort to act responsibly, and have - to our knowledge - never had any complaints,'' he wrote.
