Selling the bar to chase equestrian dreams
For 21 years, Sporty’s Cafe & Bar has been run by sports lovers and now the love of sports has prompted its sale.
Founded by Commonwealth Games cycling medallist Tony Walsh and his partner Jan Hughes, the New Plymouth bar is run by Hughes’ son Brooke Hughes.
Hughes took over when they retired in 2004.
Now he has now decided to sell so he can focus on the equestrian coaching school he runs with his wife Vanessa Way, a top New Zealand rider.
Way travels constantly with her horse clinics and has her own Olympian hopes.
‘‘She’s really busy so I want to be able to focus on that with her and help her out as much as I can,’’ Hughes says.
He says he decided some time
"The patrons were almost falling out the door, it was that busy." Brooke Hughes
ago he loved both jobs but could only do one well.
‘‘I’ve probably still got a good 10 years in me; I can still handle the young horses and help her out.’’
Hughes describes the bar at 50 Sackville St as a sort of Cheers-like place where ‘‘everyone knows your name’’.
During high-profile sporting events, it has been full to the brim, he says.
‘‘I’ll never forget the year we opened the doors to Sporty’s. It was Labour weekend and the patrons were almost falling out the door – it was that busy.’’
Sporty’s leases a 809-squaremetre site and seats 98 people, although a large garden bar extends the capacity to 140.
A brewery agreement with Dominion Breweries is in place to April 2019.
Hughes says the bar puts an emphasis on good home-style cooking. The bar has several bigscreen televisions and hosts live music events as well as karaoke and bingo nights.
Facilities include an off-licence and TAB betting, as well as an 18-machine gaming room at the rear. The cafe and bar’s exterior received a fresh coat of paint earlier in the year, and the 16-space car park was resurfaced in March.
Hughes hopes the new owner will stick with the bar’s successful recipe.
‘‘A few of the staff in there are like family to me; we’ve been together for a long time and same with the patrons,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a real friendly local bar, and it’s in the suburb of Fitzroy which is a great area.’’
Bayleys Taranaki salesmen Iain Taylor and Alan Johnston said the bar was a proven performer.
‘‘While there is potential to overhaul Sporty’s with new branding, the business is regarded as a local treasure and presently trades very well,’’ Taylor said.
He expected it to appeal to both seasoned investors and those looking to try their hand the industry.
‘‘While there is potential to overhaul Sporty’s with new branding, the business is regarded as a local treasure and presently trades very well,’’ Taylor said.
More people were recognising New Plymouth’s lower house prices and rents, Johnston said.
The chance to buy a business at a time when New Zealand was experiencing a tourism and hospitality boom was very attractive to those looking for a change of pace, he said.
Tenders close on October 26.