Key Takeaways
- The Gypsy Tea Room, a beloved Grey Lynn bar, will serve its final drinks at the end of August as building owners Barfoot & Thompson proceed with redevelopment.
- Community members rallied at a packed Grey Lynn Returned Services Club meeting, vowing to keep the venue in its current location and rejecting any relocation proposals.
- Over 3,000 people signed a petition supporting the bar, and attendees pledged to boycott Barfoot & Thompson as real‑estate agents unless the bar remains.
- Local advocate Richard Upton urged supporters to email Barfoot’s Stephen Barfoot directly with “house CVs” and suggested crowdfunding or sit‑ins as further pressure tactics.
- Barfoot & Thompson maintains it acted in good faith, citing a year of dialogue and multiple design proposals, but says the owners declined the offered solution, making relocation unavoidable.
- The meeting highlighted frustration that the agency used the Gypsy Tea Room’s proximity as a selling point for luxury property listings, which patrons view as hypocritical.
Community Gathering and Immediate Reaction
Around 200 patrons filled the Grey Lynn Returned Services Club on Wednesday evening to discuss the imminent closure of the Gypsy Tea Room. The atmosphere was charged with disappointment but also determination; many voiced that the bar’s identity is inseparable from its current address. Richard Upton, a long‑time patron, told the crowd that moving the venue would strip it of its soul, declaring, “If the Gypsy moves, it will no longer be the Gypsy.” His remarks were met with unanimous agreement, setting the tone for a night focused on preserving the bar’s historic location.
Leadership and Advocacy at the Meeting
Th’ Dudes’ frontman Peter Urlich facilitated the meeting, running a PowerPoint presentation that outlined the stakes and possible actions. Co‑owner Brett Simeti, visibly emotional, thanked the community for its overwhelming support and described the outpouring as “an incredible sign of a community standing together for something we love.” Their leadership helped channel the crowd’s frustration into concrete plans, ranging from petitioning to more direct forms of protest.
Petition Support and Economic Pressure Tactics
Prior to the meeting, approximately 3,000 individuals had signed a petition urging Barfoot & Thompson to reconsider the redevelopment plan. During the gathering, Upton asked attendees who owned property in Westmere or Grey Lynn to raise their hands; the vast majority complied. He then challenged them to keep their hands raised if they would refuse to use Barfoot & Thompson as their real‑estate agents—a request that saw no hands lowered. Upton warned that the agency’s “pockets will hurt” if the community followed through, suggesting a targeted economic boycott as a lever for change.
Direct Outreach and Creative Protest Ideas
Upton encouraged participants to email Stephen Barfoot directly, attaching a “house CV” that detailed their personal connection to the neighbourhood and the bar, thereby making the financial impact of losing tenants explicit. The crowd brainstormed additional tactics: crowdfunding to purchase the premises, organizing sit‑ins at other Barfoot & Thompson offices, and even a tongue‑in‑cheek proposal to record a “We Are the World‑style” charity single—an idea Peter Urlich laughed off but acknowledged as indicative of the group’s inventive spirit.
Barfoot & Thompson’s Official Position
In statements to the Herald, Barfoot & Thompson asserted that they had engaged with the Gypsy Tea Room’s owners for over a year, going “above and beyond” typical tenant communication. They claimed to have presented several design alternatives and sought a solution that balanced the building owner’s requirements with the tenant’s needs. Despite these efforts, the bar’s management declined the proposed option, rendering it unavailable. Barfoot emphasized that the firm remained comfortable it had acted in good faith and communicated intentions clearly, even though neither he nor a representative attended the community meeting.
Community Perception of Hypocrisy
A point of particular ire emerged when slides showing recent property sales were displayed. The listings highlighted the Gypsy Tea Room’s proximity as a selling point for multimillion‑dollar Grey Lynn homes. Upton labeled this use of the bar’s cachet as “just hypocritical,” arguing that the agency profited from the venue’s charm while simultaneously planning to erase it. The audience responded with loud boos, underscoring the feeling that Barfoot & Thompson was exploiting the very asset it intended to discard.
Future Outlook and Possible Outcomes
With the deadline set for the end of August, the Gypsy Tea Room faces its final weeks of operation. While the community’s mobilization has demonstrated strong local attachment and willingness to apply economic and social pressure, Barfoot & Thompson’s redevelopment plans appear to be moving forward absent a negotiated settlement. Whether the barrage of emails, potential boycotts, fundraising efforts, or direct actions will alter the outcome remains uncertain, but the meeting made clear that the bar’s supporters are prepared to fight vigorously to preserve a neighbourhood institution they consider irreplaceable.