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Wednesday May 27, 2015
The Sun
one on one with the Sun
Raising the bar Renwick-born Larry Newman is a study in reinvention, with each new endeavour linked by his love for people and human interaction. The lifelong Marlburian spoke to Adam Poulopoulos about closing one chapter of his working life, and his new start as a sales and marketing consultant. Two weeks ago, Larry Newman completed the sale of Kokomo Beach Bar, the establishment with a cult following he had called his own for more than a decade. Larry bought the bar, which operated under the business name Goats Don’t Shave, in 2003. He says the long hours meant it was time for a change. “I’m still exhausted. It was very stressful – you have to run the place according to the Sale of Liquor Act. “It was only open three nights a week, but it was three big nights (Thursday-Saturday.)” Despite the stress, Larry remembers the good times. The bar hosted two weddings under his leadership, along with several themed nights. “We ordered a foam cannon for a Saturday night but we didn’t have enough water, so we took the nozzle of the fire hose and adapted it to the cannon,” he says. “The water leaked into the clothes shop down below. They came in and everything was half-drenched. I had the heat blower on the carpet for nearly a week afterwards.” He says the less said about one pyjama party-themed night, the better. “I didn’t realise how few people wore pyjamas to bed. “The nudity was intense.” Among all the revelry, Larry says there was a more serious side to his time in charge, which had led to him forming lifetime friendships. “I’ve changed a few people’s lives just by making them feel good about themselves. They had the wrong medicine given to them by their parents.” Aside f rom a stint at t he
Woodbourne Tavern when he says he “got the taste for it,” Kokomo is Larry’s only foray into hospitality. Upon finishing school he joined Pyne Gould Guinness (now PGG Wrightson,) progressing through the ranks to become store manager. He juggled PGG with Kokomo for five years before concentrating on the bar. Outside of work, he has spent a combined 30 years in the Blenheim and Renwick Fire Brigades. Through it all, he has held a passion for real estate, as evidenced by his dabbling in the Renwick property market. Eighteen months ago, he took the plunge, going back to school for the first time in 30 years to do his real estate papers by correspondence. While completing his papers Larry got a call from Summit Real Estate manager Diane Parish. Just over a year ago, he finished his papers and began at the company. “I think she might have liked what she saw!” Larry jokes. He says he still loves the job. “It’s the people you surround yourself with and the people you’ll meet. “It’s just a wonderful industry to be in.” Through it all, Larry says he has maintained a few core tenets which have held him in good stead. “I love people and I love humour. I’ve based my life around people, trust and honesty. “If you can’t be honest in life you can’t be anything – that’s what I based my life on and it opened doors for me.” In between working for Summit Larry hopes to spend some time in Australia visiting his two children and grandson in the coming years.
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