Hoo haa Bar’s complaint response

Re: Allegations of discrimination

Dear Natasha Greenhill,

We apologise that you are upset and we do not take negative feedback lightly.

Hoo haa is a popular and busy venue that prides itself on catering to a diverse range of people. Our business does not discriminate against any particular group, in fact Hoo haa has sponsored a diverse range of events including 3 years as the major food sponsor for MQFF “The Melbourne Queer Film Festival”. The diversity of Hoo haa is also reflected in the diverse range of staff we employ.

Hoo haa is incredibly busy on weekends with policies designed to try and avoid patron disappointment. Entry to Hoo haa is not primarily based on dress code, it is based on bookings, capacity and behaviour towards the door, as a business we always reserve the right to refuse entry or ask patrons to leave without any explanation.

We are sorry about the disappointment and obvious upset you and your friends felt on this particular evening and will be reviewing what occurred. As a hospitality business events like these are incredibly disappointing and we always take them seriously.

We feel the situation could have been handled more appropriately had the complaint been first directed to Venue Management or owners. The use of a social media platforms to voice your concerns before attempting to resolve the situation with us directly is not in our opinion very constructive, is potentially defamatory and harmful to the wider group of staff and community that is Hoo haa and has been Hoo haa for more than 7 years.

This is evidenced by the large number of negative & defamatory comments left by people in response to your post, most of whom we consider to be fuelling a very uninformed and negative action.

The Venue Operators will be more than happy to meet with you to discuss this in person.

Sincerely,

The Management Team
Hoo haa