Since the restaurant opened seven months ago, there has been an albatross around the neck of Thai Rock in Sydney's Potts Point: a $500 per month ID scanning machine mandated by the NSW government.

Owner David Boyd said compulsory identification checks after 9pm led him to turn away clearly over-age patrons – including retirees – from dinner. Under separate regulations, even those who got through the door would be required to drink from plastic cups after midnight.