NZ craft brewery outlets fizzing
Two of the most unlikely locations — once tenanted by light industrial and commercial businesses — have emerged as New Zealand’s trendy hospitality destinations.
They represent a new style of food and beverage precinct evolving largely on the back of the rise of brewing, particularly craft beer, as one of the most dynamic segments of the food and drinks scene — along with innovative and diverse food offerings.
Far from the fickle evening crowds seen along Ponsonby Rd or The Viaduct in Auckland; or Blair St, Courtenay Pl and Queens Wharf in Wellington, these entertainment hotspots are out in the ‘burbs — making them destinations for those travelling into the locations, as well as magnets for the locals.
In Auckland, Grafton through to Morningside, effectively straddling either side of Eden Park and adjacent Kingsland — is now the epicentre of this phenomenon, featuring brewery operations with both on and offpremises licences and a range of food offerings. The trend is being replicated in Wellington, where Upper Hutt is now home to the region’s food and drinks hub.
Bayleys’ national retail sales and leasing director Chris Beasleigh says the minimalist, industrial chic nature of the new venues is a reflection of their tenants.
“As with its product offering, the craft beer sector is also cutting-edge when it comes to its real estate profile,” says Beasleigh.
“Stereotypically, ‘mainstream’ hospitality operations are located in areas with high foot traffic volumes, city centre or suburban retail hubs, high streets and malls. They play it safe.
“Conversely, the new venues coming to light — particularly in these new hubs in Auckland and Upper Hutt — are more ‘destinations’ which are out of the way. They’re places and venues to specifically go to, rather than wander past. They are edgy and not afraid of taking risks — yet they are also very calculating from a wider business perspective.
“As a result, their tenancy terms are often at far lower per square metre rates than traditional locations. That’s purely a smart business move driving straight to the bottom line.”
Beasleigh says it is no coincidence
that one of the other fast-growing trends in the hospitality business sector — food trucks — is closely linked with the new outlets and their property dynamics.
“These venues are very much about bringing limited release styles and varieties to market, keeping consumer interest piqued by bringing product to market that may only be available for a matter of weeks or months,” he says.
“That ethos is reflected in food trucks — which can be rostered in occupancy with outlets on an everchanging weekly basis.
“The smart thing about partnering with food trucks is that they remove the requirement for venues to have commercial production kitchens onsite occupying part of their available floorspace, while still ensuring the venue meets its liquor licensing foodservice obligations.”
At its northeast point, the Eden Terrace to Morningside zone in Auckland is anchored by a pair of independently run brewing haunts operating from the same site — a twostorey 1930s ex-post office building on 393 sq m of commercially-zoned land.
Subterranean venue the Beer Jerk Bunker Bar, with its array of some 300 alternative label bevvies, is located in the tiny 40sq m basement in what was once the post office’s vault.
Above it, on the 100sq m ground floor, Save Ferris has opened New Zealand’s first “craft beer parlour and amusement arcade” — featuring pinball, pool tables, retro games such as Donkey Kong and a selection of beverages. The remainder of the building is commercial office space.
In Eden Terrace, Brothers Brewery & Juke Joint combine a bar and traditional southern barbecue restaurant in a 1960s-style, 762sq m sawtooth roof warehouse, previously used for leather manufacturing. It is on 2691sq m of land zoned commercial 8F with an allowable retail use.
Around the corner, industry innovating Wellington-based brewery Garage Project is running a retail offpremise operation in New North Rd out of what was a warehousing location with stock-standard office space on the upper level.
Now with polished concrete floors, the Garage Project venue, once home to uniforms manufacturer Elizabeth Michael, occupies a 368sq m two-storey 1980s building — with retailing on the ground floor and administration office space above. Even though the Garage Project premises is for “takeaway” liquor sales only, the venue regularly partners with food truck providers on weekends.
Towards Eden Park in Charles Stt, Mt Eden, surrounded by light industrial properties and tenants, the brewing entity of Behemoth has taken out a 20-year lease on a 1000sq m property which was previously Woolf Mufflers for 50 years.
While purely for brewing operations at present, there is speculation the marque could easily look at expanding into off-premise retailing in a similar vein to Garage Project.
Further toward Western Springs — but leapfrogging the more “designer” restaurants and bars of Kingsland — other craft beer companies are taking up residence.
Urbanaut Brewing Co. (also home to the Yeastie Boys brand) occupies the upper floor of a 1950s-style warehouse. The 600sq m premises house the brand’s entire brewing operation — installed in a relatively simple process thanks to the building’s open plan nature.
Previously housing First Scene Costume and Party Hire for 16 years, the production brewery is open for tastings and takeaways only.
Across the road The Beer Spot will be taking up residence in May in a newly-refurbished 260sq m location with an outdoor garden bar, once home to Phantom Billstickers.
The cult-following Beer Spot brand launched on the market in 2016 in former light industrial, high-stud, concrete floored premises with no street frontage and minimalist decor in Northcote.
The venue is now one of the North Shore’s most profitable hospitality operations.
Having also just opened a slightly more family-friendly spot in Huapai on Auckland’s western perimeter, the company is aiming to largely replicate its first venue.
These entertainment hotspots are out in the ‘burbs — making them destinations for those travelling into the locations, as well as magnets for the locals.
Meanwhile, Upper Hutt City Council has been quick to market Brewtown as a destination food and drinks experience — with operators taking up space at what was the Dunlop tyre-manufacturing plant in the South Pacific Industrial park, 800m from the town centre.
Local brewers Boneface, Te Aro and Panhead (now owned by the Lion Group) sit alongside each other in the converted 36,000sq m plant, with Kereru Brewery over the fence in what was a former linoleum manufacturing and warehousing complex.
The tenants’ external footprints are being expanded with decking allowing for outdoor seating.
Capitalising on significant former staff parking amenities, the tar-sealed areas now accommodate patron car parking for 400 vehicles in a communal mall-like environment.
Boneface and Panhead both operate under on-premise licence by-laws, serving food, while Te Aro and Kereru serve product under retail offpremise regulations.
All four run substantial brewing plant on-site — allowed under their location’s commercial/industrial zonings.