Cloverlea Tavern rises from grave
Palmerston North’s Cloverlea Tavern has made a comeback after the sale of the property saw the 42-year-old pub close its doors in March.
But while the pub may be back from the dead, the Cloverlea Sunday Market, which operates in its car park, is on the move.
Manawatu entrepreneur Ricky Singh took over the Tremaine Ave site’s lease and bought the business in mid-may.
After shutting down for five months, the pub was quietly reopened at the end of last week.
But, by the weekend, word was starting to get around, Singh said.
‘‘It was great,’’ he said. ‘‘There were some very happy locals who were really attached to the tavern. They were glad to see the place where they had so many good memories is back.’’
Singh has been in the pub business for eight years. He owns the Terrace Tavern (formerly The Princess) in Palmerston North and Feilding’s Empire Tavern. He also holds shares in The Stunned Mullet bar in Palmerston North.
When the opportunity came up to add the Cloverlea to his growing empire, Singh jumped on it.
‘‘Cloverlea is an iconic tavern, with so much history and a lot of loyal locals. I couldn’t say no to it.’’
Renovations were done while the tavern was closed but Singh said he planned to keep the pub mostly the same, which was the way the regulars liked it.
The Cloverlea Sunday Market has been held in the tavern’s car park each week for the past 10 years, but the pub’s brief closure has prompted the market to move on.
Market organiser Maruna Engu said they had kept it running while the pub was closed, but had to do without access to its toilets, which had been less than ideal.
The Palmerston North City Council suggested the market look for another location, and eventually they settled on the Highbury Shopping Centre car park on Highbury Ave.
The move was still going ahead despite the tavern’s reopening, and the market would be renamed the Highbury Flea Market.
‘‘It’s the uncertainty for us because we don’t know when another developer will come in and buy the place, and end a market that’s been going for a decade.’’
The Highbury site had the advantage of being on councilowned land, so it was fairly secure in the long run, he said.
‘‘It may be smaller but it’s cosier. The only worry is parking. But we just want to settle, and then we’ll find out all the ins and outs of the new place.’’
He said he wasn’t sure when the move would happen, as they were still waiting on permits and other paperwork, but it would be soon.