Garage Project to replace Fortune Favours at Leeds St bar
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
A Wellington craft brewery will be taking over a soon-to-close brew bar, saying the set-up was too good to waste.
Garage Project said it will take over the Fortune Favours brew bar at 7 Leeds St following its closure last Sunday. The craft beer company will also incorporate the majority of Fortune Favours’ staff into their team.
Garage Project is one of Wellington’s most well-known craft beer breweries. Its brewery is in Te Aro, and it recently collected the highest number of medals of any entrant at the New Zealand Beer Awards.
Fortune Favours owner Shannon Thorpe said his award-winning brewery of eight years will be closing its doors due to high costs and less foot traffic.
The brew bar has been situated in the refitted Barber & Co building on Leeds St.
Garage Project head brewer Pete Gillespie said it felt “pretty nice” to do something positive, after three tough years for hospitality.
“Everything's been really hard, but this feels really, really upbeat and positive.”
However, he added he had mixed feelings about the sale, saying Thorpe and Fortune Favours head brewer Dale Cooper had done an amazing job building up Fortune Favours as a brewery.
“They've created something so awesome, it would have been such a shame to see it just be dismantled and pulled apart.”
He said the brew-bar’s doors would be closed for a while as they gave the place a Garage Project makeover - and, of course, brewed some beer.
The Leeds St address was the first building Garage Project had purchased, Gillespie said, and will be the second Garage Project drinking spot following their tap room at 91 Aro St.
“This is the first bricks and mortar that we have owned in Wellington … So that also feels kind of exciting. It'll be really cool to be able to be brewing beers on site.”
He said Garage Project was going to try to open the spot as quickly as they could.
They were excited to be joining the wider Leeds St community, he said, as the precinct had some of the most vibrant businesses in Wellington: Golding’s Free Dive, Mr Go’s, Shelly Bay Bakery, Hanging Ditch, Pizza Pomodoro and the Wellington Chocolate Factory.
“That's kind of what makes Wellington awesome are these cool, little, innovative, vibrant businesses doing cool things.”
The business will also be partnering with restaurateur Ben Bayly for the revival of the rotunda in Oriental Bay.
Fortune Favours founder Shannon Thorpe said it was nice to see someone continue in the space and take of the majority of the business’ staff.
The fact that Garage Project was a local company was even better, he said.
“Wellington is going through such a tough time at the moment. It's really nice to see another one of our neighbours picking up the spot.”
He said the transition had been nice and done in good faith, with the deal being puzzled together quickly.
“I think it's a good thing for all people involved.”
Thorpe added he had been overwhelmed with local support, ever since they put out the notice of Fortune Favours’ closure.
“It’s really to see how Wellington came out and for one final hurrah for Fortune Favours.”