Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe to close at month’s end
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
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Wellington’s Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe, which opened at the dawn of the new millennium, has announced it is closing.
The Featherston St bar and restaurant announced on Facebook: “After 25 wonderful years our lease has come to an end.”
Owner and hospitality veteran Russel Scott said the end of the lease was the main reason for the closure but times were definitely tough with the business never fully recovering in the post-Covid work-from-home era.
There were also a lot of new businesses opening as trends changed, he said.
“It is just time for me to let it go, live my life,” said Scott. “I’ve been in this business for 49 years. Plus I’m older. It needs a level of care that I just can’t give it.”
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He closed Avida, on the corner opposite Leuven, in May, noting at the time that “there [were] not enough people to go around,” and Whistling Sisters on Taranaki St about a year earlier.
Leuven opened on June 28, 2000 and will close on January 28.
It had employed 1287 staff, served thousands of punters, sold thousands of kilos of mussels, and taught people about quality beer, over its almost three decades, Scott said.
Jobs had been found for all the staff.
Otto’s Maria Boyle was shocked to hear the bar would no longer be operating, given it was a mainstay in the location. “Wow, that is surprising,” she said when informed. “They always seem to be quite busy.”
While her eatery, also on Featherston St, had been quiet over the past few weeks, December was “awesome because of all the Christmas functions. More and more office workers are coming back [into the city], so we are feeling quite positive,” she said.
Fans of Leuven took to social media following the announcement that is was closing.
“We remember when you opened,” one person posted on Facebook.
“End of an era. Thanks for everything, the fries, the mussels, the beer, especially the beer.”
Another posted: “Best hot chocolate and pot of mussels in town.”
The closure follows that of Fortunate Favours and Plonk wine bar last year.
Kristy Phillips, Chief Executive of Hospitality New Zealand said while the last few years had been particularly challenging for hospitality, and for the economy generally, it was important to acknowledge that decisions to close, though difficult, were not always solely about economic conditions and every situation has its own context.
“Hospitality businesses open and close all the time – some turnover in venues is common and very much the nature of the industry.
“Despite the recession, and prolific headlines on the closure of hospitality businesses, the total number of hospitality businesses has been increasing over the years,” Phillips said.
The number of new venues had more than offset closures and the number of accommodation and food service businesses in Wellington specifically, had increased by 14% since pre-Covid times.
The Hospitality NZ wall of fame says Scott started his hospitality career with 20 years at Lion Breweries Hotel Division from 1976.
He held various management roles and one of his key roles at Lion Breweries was an area manager position where he was responsible for 18 various hotel and tavern operations.
Scott left Lion in 1986 and for the next 13 years was the director of Valesco United Limited, which developed and managed Wellington venues Flanagan’s Hotel, Backbencher Pub and Cafe, Chicago Bard and the King’s Cross Hotel in Lower Hutt. He owned Ombra restaurant for a time.
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