After attempting to impose severe restrictions, including restricting guests to only two alcoholic beverages, a killjoy council ordered a pop-up beach bar to close.
In Bournemouth, Dorset, the Hawaiian-themed Beach Hut Bar and Grill was granted a temporary license to open and operate during the busy summer season.
However, operators have had to close their doors as a result of severe limits enforced by council chiefs in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
The guidelines included a prohibition on serving stag and hen parties, a prohibition on DJs playing loud music, and random spot inspections by the ‘nannying’ council.
Customers who only wanted a refreshing beer or a drink while admiring the beautiful view were not allowed to do so unless they also purchased meals.
According to the venue, 70% of those who wanted to enjoy the blazing weather at the makeshift bar were turned away.
The pop-up bar and restaurant, which was meant to run from April until late October this year, was disassembled after the owners opted to cut their losses.
‘We had no option but to close after weeks of attempting to negotiate,’ they said in a statement shared on social media.
‘The laws and restrictions that were enforced forced us to make a difficult decision.
‘Not being allowed to take group reservations, turning away 70% of walk-ins who simply wanted a drink, and continually being inspected made our time a tremendous strain for us as a company, both financially and emotionally.’
‘We’re very disappointed,’ says the group. We’d rather pay the balance and cut our losses as a small business than be in debt and lose money.’
The pub closed on Wednesday, only days before the British Isles were pounded by hot summer temperatures with highs of 28.2C (82.7F).
By 7 a.m., temperatures at London City Airport had reached 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit), followed by 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) at 9 a.m., 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) at 10 a.m., and 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) at 11 a.m.
According to the Met Office, the UK is “still on track to experience a 34C somewhere this afternoon.”
Several residents have also chastised the municipality for its stringent regulations, with the bar receiving bad feedback online because customers ‘couldn’t obtain a drink.’
‘The nanny state epitomized, it’s almost like they make things so complicated on purpose,’ Scott Charlton said.
‘Either they don’t want us to have fun or they don’t want small enterprises and entrepreneurs to succeed,’ says the author.
‘I notice that one of the limits was to prevent excessive drinking, which they appear to have defined as more than two drinks,’ Derek McColl added.
‘They thought the clients would be 12 year olds,’ says the narrator.
‘As part of our attempts to make the award-winning beachfront even more dynamic, we have engaged with various operators through an open tender to host a number of new beach activities,’ said Councillor Beverley Dunlop.
‘We have been extremely cautious to ensure that these new facilities have food as their core product, since local residents indicated a preference for beach restaurants over beach bars.’
‘It is regrettable that the owners of the Beach Hut Bar & Grill have decided to close their doors.
‘We were working with the operator to persuade them to stay on site, but we wish them the best of luck in whatever business they want to pursue in the future.’
‘We feel this site offers a fantastic chance to open a beach restaurant with a unique menu, and it will continue to be an important component of our world-class seafront’s exciting offerings.’