Restaurants caught in Kings Cross liquor laws fallout

Restaurants in Potts Point have been caught in the fallout of liquor laws aimed at late night Kings Cross night spots.

The restaurants failed to tally the amount, in millilitres, sold each hour and submitted quarterly.

The special licence conditions were introduced last year for venues serving alcohol in the Kings Cross entertainment precinct, following community concerns about alcohol-fuelled violence.

They are now being reviewed a year into its operation.

Of the strikes incurred under the special conditions, 11 have been for restaurants, cafes and small bars that failed to provide alcohol sales data, the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing's report shows. 10 were in Potts Point.

Under the tough licensing conditions, all venues in the precinct licensed to trade after 8pm are required to report their alcohol sales every night between 8pm and 5am across eight categories, including light and full-strength beer, spirits and energy drinks. 

Kings Cross Liquor Accord chief Doug Grand, noting many small restaurants lacked the technology to automatically record their sales data, has asked the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing to exempt small venues with no history of violence from the requirements.

Mai Train, whose popular Potts Point Vietnamese restaurant Bay Bua has received one strike, said the reporting requirements were confusing and time-consuming. 

"Nobody gets drunk in a Vietnamese restaurant," she told Fairfax Media.

Another venue pinged under the new rules was Panhandlebar, a 52-seat cafe and wine bar established by Stephen Marks who said ordinarily his annual licence fee would be $400, but having incurred a strike, it could potentially rise to $5400. 

The NSW Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs said she would meet with affected business owners next week, following a request from independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich.