Arc Cafe no more?
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:14 pm

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The future of Arc Cafe - venerable supporter of NZ music for the last few years, and home to the Arc Life record label - seems to be under threat. The doors were closed last night (Wed 22 Sep), and will remain closed for a few days while the financial position of the Arc Trust is ascertained. We'll keep you posted.

RE: Arc Cafe no more?
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:16 pm

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On Wednesday the Trust called a meeting with all staff. At it we were presented a letter telling us that the Trust had become insolvent, Arc Cafe Ltd had bought and leased the management of Arc Cafe to Dunedin Catering Company. Dunedin Catering Company is owned by two men, one of whom is Lindsay ??? who used to run the Gluepot, is president of HANZ and owns many different bars and cafes around Dunedin. Arc Manager, Richard Jeffrey was fired on the spot and some of the staff were told that they "may" be re-employed. The catch is that the proposed employment agreement they would like us to sign is less favourable than our old agreement - they want us to take a pay cut, no staff discounts or tabs etc. There was intially a controversial clause in the contract: tattoos, piercings and coloured hair were out, as was "over the top" makeup. This is ARC!?! Due to staff uproar they have since removed the clause. The contract offered is a temporary one for two weeks. Staff have been told that if they do not sign it, they will not get paid for the work they have done since Friday. There is a feeling that Arc will be staying open until the end of the Fringe Festival and then ????

Some staff have walked out, others need their job. As a group of people we are united but as a working team we are now individual.

Emmanuelle is staying on as the Venue Manager for now out of a sense of loyalty and respect to the performers who had already booked. It would be wholly unfair if it had to affect the artistic community as well as the workers.

Meanwhile, the "Trust" owe us all a shitload of holiday pay. We are presently negotiating through our union rep to collect all outstanding monies. it is an uphill struggle.

Another interesting thing to note is that the former members of the Arc Cafe Trust - Steven Kilroy, Antony Deaker and Caro McCaw are now the Directors and only Shareholders in the newly formed Arc Cafe Ltd.

RE: Arc Cafe no more?
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:46 pm

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Sorry to hear the news - that really really bites it - after what happened to the Temple in Auckland it really annoys me that we are (perhaps?) about to loose another one of NZs great live music venues. It's really disappointing to read about what has happened.

RE: Arc Cafe no more?
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:21 am

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That's real sad, I hate it when good venues go down.

RE: Arc Cafe no more?
Posted: Thu Dec 8, 2005 10:35 pm

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