Karked it

File under: coffee, hospitality, Wellington

Krazy Lounge has Konked out. There's a sign on the door saying "Sorry, Krazy Lounge is closed forever. R.I.P.", and the inside is currently being used as a temporary sale shop for the appropriately-named fashion label Insidious Fix.

It opened in 1996, which certainly made it seem a permanent fixture in Wellington (though the mid-90s coffee scene was not quite so bleak as the My Wellington review makes out). What that review also misses (along with an article on Thread) is that the "Krazy" spelling was not just arbitrary kookiness, but a nod to the previous occupant: Krazy Rick's junk shop.

Nevertheless, it was starting to seem a little dated, a relic of early 90s Midnight Espresso-era bohemia. A series of management changes didn't help, with very variable standards of service over the last five years, though the most recent (the owners of Petone's Caffiend, if I remember rightly) had raised hopes, and as recently as June, "Morgue" was saying:

Tonight I spent a couple hours in Krazy Lounge nursing a coffee, listening to a jazz quintet and reading last year's John Ralston Saul book on globalization.

Finally, I felt like a fucking citizen.

Despite that, it seemed to be open less and less often, and the end seemed inevitable. If anyone has the inside gossip on what happened, please share it here. It's a pity to see it go, but as with Rouge across the road, the site is too good to remain empty for long.

Oh and by the way, it seems like I'll have to drop more hints about the current Mystery Bar. It's upstairs, not far from the Golden Mile, and related to the much more high profile bar and restaurant below it.