Bottomless brunch spots in Melbourne could fall foul of RSA guidelines
Unlimited booze for as little as $30 might sound great, but the trend in some of Melbourne’s top brunch spots has regulators worried. Is this the end of your boozy Sunday brunch?
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Trendy Melbourne cafes offering boozy brunches are facing a sobering thought.
Victoria’s liquor regulator has warned that venues serving up “bottomless brunches” could fall foul of responsible service guidelines.
The New York-inspired brunches offer hours of unlimited alcohol for as little as $30.
But the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation said staff needed to be able to spot drunk patrons, and stop them from “stock-piling” drinks.
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A VCGLR spokesman said the commission would “take action” against any promotion that could “negatively impact” responsible drinking.
“The VCGLR can issue banning notices for any promotion it considers to be in breach of responsible liquor advertising and promotion guidelines,” he said.
The commission last month published a series of tips for venues that included offering water and ensuring enough food was also served during the boozy brunches.
The bottomless brunches have become a weekend staple at a string of Melbourne eateries, including popular CBD spot Gingerboy.
Hanoi Hannah boasted online that it had “your Sunday session sorted” with two hours of “bottomless booze” for $30 a person, while South Yarra cafe House of Lulu White spruiked its bottomless brunch in an Instagram post – showing six cocktails - that reminded patrons to “always drinks responsibly”.
Fargo and Co’s $55 brunch is served alongside unlimited Spritz, prosecco, minosas and moscato.
Monika Cala, internal licensing manager for Australian Venue Co, which owns Fargo and Co, said that the Richmond eatery served its patrons in a “responsible, friendly and professional manner”.
“During our bottomless brunches, staff are vigilant and observant whilst working and monitor patrons’ behaviour,” she said.
“Furthermore, our controls are implemented to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all guests during this period.”
VicHealth manager of alcohol Emma Saleeba said the health authority was “quite concerned” about the trend that encouraged people to “get bang for their buck”.
“Often these boozy bottomless brunches packages are marketed in a way that encourages people to get as much value as possible,” she said.
“They are clearly promoting heavy and rapid alcohol consumption in a short amount of time.
“We are not talking about a benign product like milk or a typical brunch - alcohol is a drug.”
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