12 INTERCLUB • VOLUME 30, ISSUE 2 - 2024 REACHING CLUBS SINCE 1995 CLUB LIFE: PETONE CLUB Better levels of service for members and guests Iain Craw knows and understands the Petone Club well. When he returned from time overseas he began his association with the large and successful club as Restaurant Manager, progressing through various management roles to lead the club in the early days of the COVID pandemic. The timing could be described as a baptism by fire, but by this time, Iain knew the club well and understood the capabilities of the team of managers who oversee various areas of the club’s extensive operation. Today, Petone Club sits at the very centre of the community it serves and has a membership of around 9,000. It employs 60-odd staff and when COVID lockdown struck, Iain says the club was in a strong financial position to weather the storm and keep the team employed and the bills paid. “We put a great deal of time and energy into ensuring that when we could open our doors again, our members and guests were returning to a safe and compliant environment,” Iain says. From 2022 onward the club assumed its positive financial cash-flow and the planned full refurbishment of the Bistro kitchen went into action, completed on time in mid-2023. “This was a major project for us. Our Bistro is an extremely busy outlet and we had set aside $500,000 for the project which was well managed and came in under budget. Our Bistro at its peak is processing a meal order every 90 seconds so refurbishing the kitchen has meant that operational workflows have been improved with better levels of service for our members and guests.” And as a healthy reflection of the strong position Petone Club is in, Iain says turnover is up in all areas of the club’s operation. The club is one of a handful in New Zealand that has 30 gaming machines. Updating the fleet of machines has resulted in an increase in revenue from this source, however Iain balances this with a firm understanding of the club’s duty of care towards its players and responsibility Sue Russell with respect to the current Harm Minimisation regulations relating to problem gambling. Iain works with an experienced Executive Committee of 9 members and 3 Trustees and when Interclub spoke with him, the next big project was a complete roof replacement scheduled for later in the year. Petone Club is also a place where young people can receive work experience training, through the not-for-profit organisation Youth Inspire which run a range of employment programmes for 15-24 year olds. Those participating in the programme are supported along an 8-14-week pathway, where they can attain their driver’s license and learn to write a good CV amongst other things. During this time, Petone Club takes on two people to give them an opportunity to work in a real life, fast-paced hospitality environment. “It’s a great partnership and we’re proud of the relationship we have with Youth Inspire. In the five years we have been involved we’ve taken six staff on to full time employment with us.” Iain says his demanding busy role is made easier with the support of an excellent team of department heads who in turn support the various teams of staff. “When you think about it, a club of this scale is a great place for someone to gain experience across all areas of our operation and it’s extremely satisfying to see staff gain confidence and skills as they become a valuable part of our great team.” And because Petone Club has such a large footprint, it is able to host various largescale events throughout the year. Two major charity events are held annually; fundraising events for various worthwhile causes taht the club and membership supports. “We host an annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast in August and normally raise between $5,000- $10,000 and the other major event is our popular Charity Fishing Contest in support of the Child Cancer Foundation and Wellington Coastguard. This year we raised $16,000 through the contribution and sponsorship of our partners, local businesses and auctioning fish caught across the weekend.” “We owe our success as a club to the ongoing support of our members, guests and wider community – we are immensely proud of what we offer and continue to improve as we look to the future.” Petone Club Ph: 04 568 5404 Email: generalmanager@petoneclub.co.nz IF YOU DON’T HAVE A QEC WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL FOR CLUB NZ MEMBERS. For more information please contact info@coms.net.nz or phone 0800 266 797 • A fully integrated, market-leading, cloud-based facial recognition system that identifies excluded persons as they enter a gaming room, by matching them against images of excluded persons stored in the CONCERN Database. • COMS Detect is not just a FRT system, it's a full compliance solution for your gaming operation and has our new Time In Venue (TIV) function, which helps identify players whom have been in your gaming area for a specific period of time. • Coms Detect coms with a Room Sweep App that asks the standard DIA questions and displays photos of persons in your gaming room to select players (description of players) and if the player has been in your gaming room for nine consecutive sweeps and Incident will be in a draft state on your QEC or Harm Tablet. • Proven reliable system. More than 400 systems installed into NZ Pubs & Clubs. 100% customer satisfaction. • Industrial grade solution - designed specifically for Gaming Room environments. Petone Club sits at the very centre of the community it serves and has a membership of around 9,000.
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