After facing backlash for rejecting a knitting group, a Napier bar has apologised, insisting the hobby "is cool".
Good George Napier Taphouse was called out in a social media post made by The Knit Nook, who received a call from the newly-opened bar telling them their booking was cancelled because "knitting is not the vibe we are looking for".
"If someone brought a deck of cards or a board game it would be seen as normal but because of their perception of who should be in a tap house we are not welcome to knit there so I cancelled our bookings," the Knit Nook member wrote on Facebook. "I don't even know what to say other than knitters are magical and they can't handle our awesomeness".
Good George quickly responded, admitting their fault and admiration for the hobby.
"It was never our intention to offend anyone and we apologise," they wrote. "That's not the GOOD George way."
"We absolutely think knitting is cool and think it's a great talent to have. We're all for it."
They also explained their reasoning for the rejection:
There were a few large groups booked "so we really didn't think it was the right space for knitting."
"If there was dinner to be had by the group then we could've booked a space for them in an area but from what we were told it was just a drink and knitting and we only had bar stools available."
"Having only recently opened we have been overwhelmed by the support of people coming through our doors. As a result, our team have been run off their feet and we have made a big mistake in turning away this group," they added.
"We have apologised directly to The Knit Nook. We would like to apologise to all of the members of the Knit Nook and make it clear that all groups of people are welcome at The Napier Taphouse."
The Knit Nook replied, saying they "appreciate" the bar's apology and "will absolutely visit in the future".
We're glad beers and yarn have yet again combined for a happy ending.
