That incident and other concerns including overcrowding have sparked questions about the sale of alcohol at DropKicks.
A report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee said the city’s chief licensing inspector had taken "the unusual step" of requesting the Great King St bar and live music venue’s temporary liquor licence be reconsidered.
DropKicks was until recently run by Loboski Venues Ltd, but has been taken over by Femme Enterprises Limited.
"In the time the applicant has operated the premises, concerns have been identified, but these were overshadowed by an incident on April 3," the report said.
That incident involved an intoxicated patron at the premises being locked in at the end of the night.
"The premises was not checked properly by staff before they left, so they did not find the person in one of the toilet stalls.
"The patron, when they realised they were locked in, contacted friends who subsequently involved the police.
"When entry was gained, they found an extremely intoxicated person who was transported to hospital."
The incident was raised at a meeting with the applicant this month along with other concerns including a lack of CCTV at the premises, poor communication with regulatory agencies and the Dunedin City Council, overcrowding and "an association with an external event provider who advertised bar tab giveaways".
The inspector believed there were issues with the suitability of the applicant and the systems, staff and training at DropKicks, the report said.
Femme Enterprises Limited was granted a temporary authority — which allows a new operator to sell alcohol on the back of an existing licence for a period of up to three months, when a business changed ownership — on February 11, but the committee had the power to at any time rehear any matter it determined.
Femme Enterprises Limited director Rebecca Ellis said the inspector’s request was understandable in light of the April 3 incident.
"It was an incredibly concerning incident which has been taken very seriously as it could have resulted in a much worse outcome.
"I was very glad to learn that the customer is OK."
There would usually be at least two checks of all areas of the venue: one by a staff member and another by security.
The duty manager that night instructed a staff member to check the venue before moving on to other closing tasks, but this request was overheard by a security guard who assumed the checks had been done so did not do their own, Ms Ellis said.
While closing tasks were listed for the staff on site, formal closing procedures had since been implemented.
Checking the venue and toilets were ‘‘top of the list’’, she said.
‘‘The staff working that night are extremely remorseful and have embraced the new closing procedures.’’
Steps had been taken to mitigate the inspector’s other concerns where possible.
Security contractors monitored capacity in the venue with counters as patrons entered and exited to ensure it was never exceeded.
Bar tab giveaways advertised by a third-party promoter were never authorised by DropKicks and the promoter was advised multiple times they could not do this.
‘‘I am committed to ensuring the safety of customers, staff and the community,’’ Ms Ellis said.
A hearing has been scheduled for next Tuesday.
