Wellington café blames construction for closure, as it looks for new location
Wednesday, 13 November 2024
An award-winning café in the heart of Wellington is closing its doors due to ongoing construction.
“After over 25 years of serving the Wellington community, we will be closing our doors starting Monday 16 December 2024,” Nikau Café told its customers in an email.
“The ongoing construction in Civic Square and related challenges have made it increasingly difficult for us to operate in our usual way.
“In addition, the building we occupy, shared with the City Gallery, is scheduled to close in February 2025 for essential earthquake strengthening.”
The email said this brought its current chapter to a close, but they were on the lookout for a new location befitting Nikau Café’s “iconic“ status.
It said several potential sites had been considered, but none met what it described as unique requirements to ensure its continued success.
“For decades, Nikau Café has been a place of connection, warmth, and good food in Wellington’s CBD. We couldn’t have achieved this without you, our loyal customers, whose visits have shaped Nikau into the beloved space it is today.
“Thank you for being part of our journey. We hope that, one day, we welcome you back in a new capacity. Until then, please know how grateful we are for your support and the memories we’ve created together.”
Earlier this year, Bordeaux Bakery’s main store and cafe in Thorndon Quay, along with smaller sites in Featherston St and on Lambton Quay, its wholesale bakery and farmers market operations, ceased operations.
Owner Tony Bates said the closure was a direct result of roadworks and the removal of carparks. Turnover had dropped between 60% and 70%, he said.
Bordeaux’s closure came a month after Pandoro shut down its three sites in the capital.
In that case, Pandoro Wellington owner Tony Beazley said trade in Wellington had been “absolutely gutted” by the economic climate and mass redundancies in the public sector.
He also pointed to working from home as a factor, with cycle and bus lanes in the city also having an impact on foot traffic.