It’s the perfect home for a rooftop bar
In a few months, New Plymouth residents will have something they have never had before – a rooftop bar.
Construction has begun on a bar that will give patrons sweeping views of the Tasman Sea and the Coastal Walkway without a wall in sight to get in the way.
The project, which is under way on top of popular inner-city bar and restaurant The Good Home, had been two years in the making and would hopefully be finished by February, owner David Stones said.
It will be the city’s first rooftop bar. ‘‘Unless somebody else scoops me,’’ Stones said yesterday. ‘‘It is exciting. It will be a bloody good asset for the city and for Taranaki.’’
The rooftop will be an expansion of The Good Home bar in Ariki St.
And despite being on top of a roof, it will feature a roof itself so the area can still be used when it rains.
‘‘It will be the perfect place to have a nice cocktail, a frozen margarita or a cold beer,’’ Stones said. ‘‘We have had to go through a lot of red tape of course and everyone has been really good in helping us achieve our goal.’’
The plan was to open in February but Stones joked things did not always go according to plan with building and Taranaki weather.
‘‘We have got some great hospitality places in New Plymouth. This will just add to the flavour of what everyone else offers.’’ Construction on the roof started two weeks ago and The Good Home is currently covered in scaffolding but is still open for business inside.
In terms of how much the project would cost, Stones kept his cards close to his chest. It was a sizeable amount, he said, but well worth the investment.
‘‘It is a different amount what I tell my bank manager to what I tell my wife,’’ he said.
It is not the only scaffolding up on the city’s rooftops. The nearby former BNZ building, which now houses shared workspace Johnson Corner, also has work under way on its rooftop.
It is being renovated for use as a garden space for a private residence underneath.