Long-empty Monte’s Bar and Grill in Alice Springs faces Territory liquor commission disciplinary action

A Red Centre bar – which has sat empty since late 2022 – is facing a disciplinary action by the Territory liquor commission. Read why.

Monte's Bar and Grill in Alice Springs has sat empty since 2022. Picture: Gera Kazakov

A liquor licence debacle for a long-empty Red Centre bar has dragged the previous manager and its owner before the Northern Territory liquor commission – which could potentially go against the “unfortunate party” who did “nothing wrong”, according to a liquor licensing delegate.

Matt Mulga, the owner of Monte’s Bar and Grill in Alice Springs – which has sat empty since December 2022 – was present at a hearing with Northern Territory Liquor Commission deputy-chair Jodi Truman and liquor licensing delegate Mark Wood.

Also at the hearing – which was held jointly in Darwin and Alice Springs – was former Monte’s manager and now-owner of Alice’s craft brewery Kyle Pearson.

The owner and previous manager of the long-empty venue were before the commission due to issues around the transfer of the liquor license, the payment of liquor license fees, and whether or not the venue’s license should be cancelled.

The commission heard Mr Pearson had made multiple attempts to transfer the Monte’s Liquor license over to Mr Mulga, who then neglected to pay the necessary licensing fees within the correct time frame.

Deputy Chair Ms Truman said Mr Pearson was still listed as the licensee, and noted the times Mr Pearson had contacted Mr Mulga to attempt to transfer the license.

Monte's bar and grill in Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Complicating things, Mr Wood noted that the disciplinary action was being brought against These Clowns – a company now before the administrators – who had done “everything they could” to return the license to Mr Mulga.

“Effectively they’ve done nothing wrong from our perspective but they have to be the unfortunate party that we’ve taken this action against,” Mr Wood said.

However, Mr Mulga’s reasoning for not paying the licensing fees within the correct time was that he had multiple buyers who were at one-point going to buy the Alice Springs bar before they got “cold feet”.

He said he had now paid the fees and now has a new purchaser ready to take over – who was ready to pay $750,000 for the venue.

“This building is heritage listed, so it cannot be demolished. It has to stay as it is. It’s set up as a restaurant, a bar and restaurant. Its best possible use is a bar restaurant,” he said.

“The building itself needs a liquor license to ensure that it can be started, it can have a tenant.”

Mr Mulga said he paid over $1 million for the property, and is now ready to sell it at a loss, with the licensing issues making him feel like he’s being punished “quite severely”.

But Mr Wood, from the liquor commission, took a different view to things, upholding the notion that applying for liquor license is “right” but holding one is a “privilege”.

“On October 2023 contact was made with Mr Mulga in relation to the failure to pay the annual fee and failure to transfer the license with the complaint eventually being made in march of this year,” he said.

He said any potential new owner for the venue will be able to apply for a new liquor license. 

The meeting wrapped up with Ms Truman stating “we’ll think about the matter” with a decision to be reached at an unknown date.