Captain Jack’s in Herne Bay Seeks to Extend Opening Hours to 3am
In a bid to reduce "public disorder" in Herne Bay, the owners of Captain Jack’s, a popular seafront bar, have applied to Canterbury City Council to extend their opening hours to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. The current licence requires the bar to close at 12:45am on busy weekend nights, prompting customers to seek alternative venues to continue partying.
According to Nejmi Hassan, who runs the bar with his brother Hassan, extending the opening hours will help prevent rowdy behaviour on the streets. "It was just a popular request by lots of our customers who come in," he told KentOnline. "We’re hoping that if we stay open a bit later, then they’ll go straight home from us, so hopefully we’ll cut down some public disorder in town."
Captain Jack’s, located in Central Parade, Herne Bay, is a well-known venue that can accommodate a large number of people. The Hassans believe that by staying open later, they can reduce the number of customers who leave the bar and cause trouble in the town. "By extending the hours, it will allow people to leave of their own accord because they’ve got more time to leave and, let’s face it, most of the people don’t want to be there till three o’clock in the morning," Nejmi Hassan said.
The application to extend the opening hours has not been without controversy, however. Nathan Ahmad, owner of Vivid, Herne Bay’s only nightclub, has expressed concerns that the move will lead to increased rowdy behaviour. "We could provide the past 31 days of our CCTV between half 12 and half 1, which is when customers of Captain Jack’s come to us and there’s never any sort of clash," he said. "Them saying there’d be a reduction in crime and such things is laughable."
According to a Freedom of Information request to Kent Police, in 2024, officers were called out to Captain Jack’s 12 times, compared to six visits to Vivid. However, Nejmi Hassan emphasised that the bar has a robust security system in place, with security-qualified agents on the door until closing time.
A Canterbury City Council spokesman told KentOnline that the council is yet to receive any feedback from police or members of the public regarding the application. "If no representations are received by July 2, the licence would be granted," the spokesman said. "Kent Police and/or the council’s licensing team may suggest additional conditions for the licence to make it more robust, and if this happens, they can be added voluntarily by the applicant."
The outcome of the application will be determined in the coming weeks. If approved, Captain Jack’s will be able to stay open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, potentially altering the late-night landscape in Herne Bay.
In a statement, Nejmi Hassan highlighted the importance of Captain Jack’s in the local community. "We are probably the liveliest venue in town," he said. "There aren’t any other venues in Herne Bay that can accommodate as many people as we do. We have a DJ and it’s quite a cool environment for everyone to be in."
The proposed changes have sparked a lively debate in the town, with many residents eager to see how the extended opening hours will impact the local community. As the council continues to consider the application, one thing is certain – the future of late-night entertainment in Herne Bay hangs in the balance.
KentOnline will continue to provide updates on this story as more information becomes available.
