Cafe loves being a remote possibility
Avenue claiming to be the country’s most remote cafe — also providing grocery and postal services and with future prospects to sell liquor — is on the market for sale.
East Coast locals have long claimed that the Hard Drive Cafe, at Matawai on St H 2, rivals the Whangamo¯mona Hotel as the country’s most remote en-route destination.
But Bayleys Gisborne salesperson Colin McNab, who is selling the cafe, is more adamant.
When it comes to isolation McNab reckons Whangamo¯mona is barely in the same league.
“Whanga is on the Forgotten Highway (St H 43), so only about 65km northeast of Stratford and 55km southwest of O¯ hura,” he points out.
“But the Hard Drive Cafe is about
71km northwest of Gisborne and
70km south-east of O¯po¯tiki, delivering considerably better bragging rights for the likes of adventure motorbike riders.”
McNab adds that while Whangamo¯mona has a pub, Matawai now lacks one, pointing to an obvious future business opportunity.
“The target-market audience is already there, and captive — by which I mean the locals plus anyone travelling between O¯ po¯tiki and Gisborne.
“There’d be virtually nowhere else for a bite-to-eat, plus beer for 71km in either direction.
“With some ingenuity and creativity, the old service station back-office and workshop space beside the cafe could become a very cool country pub, and you begin to see the business opportunity.
Backblocks experience
“In addition to the local traffic, there’s tourists riding nearby cycle trails, plus niche groups like those four-wheel-drive and motorbike riders from the big cities — all craving an authentic backblocks experience.
“They’ve already got the big expensive toys — now they need a place that really challenges them to get to, preferably one with a good backstory like the Hard Drive Cafe.”
McNab says the cafe operates within a 210sq m building alongside what used to be the town’s petrol station. The 2942sq m of freehold land, buildings and cafe business are being marketed for sale for $500,000.
He adds that at present the business serves home-made baked goods, barista-made coffee, selections of fruit, carbonated beverages and the freezers are full of individuallypacked ice creams.
“The pies, cakes, and pastries are commercially baked in a kitchen in an adjacent commercial premises which was once the town’s service station.”
But the assets within the Hard Drive portfolio also include two community-sustaining fullyautomated petrol pumps on the former service station forecourt.
This portion of the property is leased out to Allied Fuel, returning $10,000pa net on a lease currently running through to 2023, with two further five-year rights of renewal.
“The pumps sit in front of a large commercial structure which has the potential to re-open as a service station.” McNab adds.
Lodge or pub
“For a visionary entrepreneur seeking a lifestyle business opportunity, the substantial 200sq m commercial building and land to the rear of the service station forecourt has development prospects. It could quite easily be converted into a budget backpackers lodge.
“The same space would effortlessly support a mechanics workshop, as breakdown services are few and far between along this stretch of the highway network.”
Matawai’s pub closed two years ago. McNab sees the opportunity for a new owner to pick up both onpremise and off-premise liquor sales licences.
“The ‘bones’ are already in place for a new bar to emerge in Matawai. It doesn’t have to be a flashy big-city gastro-pub type operation serving craft beers and pork belly on bok choy . . . that’s not heartland New Zealand,” he says.
“But with some ingenuity and creativity, the old service station back-office and workshop space could become a very cool country pub.
“The target-market audience is already there, and is captive — meaning anyone travelling between O¯ po¯tikii and Gisborne.”
Cycle trail
McNab says Matawai’s profile has lifted because it is the start-finish point for the Motu Trails/Rere Falls cycle trail linking it to Gisborne.
The ride — which can take up to three days — is promoted as one of the most remote sections of the national cycle trail.
The national cycle trail website says riders are “advised to carry sufficient water and food for the duration of the ride” — with limited mobile phone coverage, toilets and drinking water available.
“Being the starting or finishing point for this 103km ride there is a case for establishing a backpackerstyle lodge with associated hospitality operations for riders wanting to come in the night before starting their journey, or for chilling out at the conclusion of their journey before driving up to O¯po¯tiki,” McNab says.
“Again, because of its remote location, this is a captive market for Matawai, and the business is currently leaking outside of the township.
“A two-bedroom owner/manager/ staff quarters at the rear of the highway-facing retail units is also included in the Hard Drive property portfolio, along with an additional 488sq m section across the road,” he says.
“It’s now used for parking but has scope for building development.”