Surreal service: Long-time hospo legend bows out
One of Queenstown’s long serving hospitality operators is calling it quits after being an integral part of downtown Queenstown’s late night party scene for 26 years.
Australian nurse and Surreal owner Mel Stadler first came to Queenstown after faking her way into a hospitality role with no experience while on her OE in London. “I then came here to manage Red Rock when it was three levels with a nightclub in the 1990s.” Mel had worked her way in bars through ski seasons in Europe and Canada and had been on her way home to Australia but loved it here and never left.
The Red Rock owners decided to end their New Zealand interest, so at just 30, Mel took the leap into opening her own Queenstown restaurant and bar, Surreal. “I put my Big Girl pants on and decided to run with it,” she says. “Staircase Fashions Rees Street store was up for grabs, so I did it and the rest is history. That was 1997.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just finding my feet,” says Mel. Having a young guy die at the bar of a supposed heart attack on opening night was not a good start with Mel performing CPR on her tourist patron. Fortunately, some nearby doctors appeared and helped.
Battling local and national bureaucracy would be one of the hardest things Mel’s had to deal with – licensing, resource consents and immigration.
Licensed until 4am, Mel says she’s fought in the past for more freedom in licensing.
She’s done her fair share of late shifts and has never found it difficult to sort out those who appear to have had a few too many. “In all honesty the worst thing is usually somebody doing a poo in the urinal. That’s not nice,” she says. “You learn how to talk to them (drunks). Taking on the boys is way easier than taking on the girls.”
After marrying the Kiwi barman she hired, Erich Stadler, they’ve made a great team.
“I wanted to leave while I still loved it,” says Mel.
They’ve built a loyal following over the years, expanding the rooftop bar some years ago to cater for 50.
Retaining that goodwill is something new owners Snow Machine event director and ski tour operator Quentin Nolan, and wife Kate, are keen to do. They’ll run it as is through until the end of summer. “It’s a bit of an institution and Mel and Erich have done a good job, so we don’t want to lose any of that goodwill,” says Quentin, whose Hakuba Hotel Group in Japan owns eight hotels, apartments, chalets, and seven bars and restaurants.
The Nolans moved to Queenstown two years ago. “I’ve known Mel and Erich a long time so when the opportunity came up that they might move on I thought it would be great.” Quentin says they’re looking to do some refurbishment, potentially doubling the size of the rooftop bar and adding another staircase. “We’re hoping to bring a new concept to life next year which may potentially be similar to our very popular Hakuba bar, The Rabbit Hole. That’s one of the plans on the table.” All existing staff will be retained.
As for Mel she’s looking forward to kicking back for the rest of this year, spending some time with her mum in Australia and hopefully helping out other local hospitality friends in their businesses. “I love hospitality.”
She and Erich may then start planning something more substantial. “I have a few ideas that might come to fruition.”
