Hornby fast food outlet, Wendy’s, has made a formal application to serve alcoholic beverages with meals.

Unsurprisingly this has outraged a great many public groups; especially those who like to think they know people better than people know themselves.

Riccarton Wigram Community Board chair, Mike Mora, was reported to say: “I haven’t spoken to one person who thinks this is a good idea – in fact everyone is absolutely appalled.” Christchurch’s Salvation Army is also concerned about the possible implications, along with Deputy Mayor Vicki Buck, claiming a fast food restaurant requesting a liquor licence is “a bit weird”.

In their defence though Wendy’s chief executive Danielle Lendich fired back saying the company simply wanted to give guests the opportunity to enjoy a beer with their burger, and it was a way for Wendy’s to “up its game”, which, personally, makes perfect sense.

Look at the New Zealand law surrounding sale of liquor on a public holiday, for example, which maintains the single criterion that in order for an establishment to serve booze on the aforementioned days they must be classified as a ‘restaurant’; thus must serve food.

Obviously Wendy’s does serve food. It is now asking for a licence to serve booze between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. – hardly classic binging hours.

It frustrates me that city officials are seemingly of the impression that the public require their constant influence, as though people across New Zealand are not capable of thinking for, or more to the point taking care of, themselves.

Afford Wendy’s Hornby a liquor licence and see what happens – a sudden increase in alcohol-induced workplace injury or pre 9 a.m. traffic incidents; or teenage drunkenness on what will surely be horrifically overpriced bottles of beer?

Not likely.

Article by Tim Walker

Edited by Boo Sin-Burger

Photography by Wendy Yum