Sad news about an iconic pub

From the Owners:

As some of you have no doubt heard, Jackson’s Tavern has closed to the public effective 31 January 2016, and for now available for organised functions only. Details of that to follow in future posts.

Trade has steadily increased since reopening in November 2014, and we’ve just had a very busy holiday period. However the remote location makes it a difficult business when you are not hands on owner-operators with your finger on the pulse. Both the owners and managing director are based in Christchurch, and we cannot continue to support the tavern financially.

We are looking for an owner-operator to take over the business, ideally a family who could live on site in the comfortable living quarters. This would allow staffing and other costs to be reduced dramatically and make it financially viable.

We have ploughed a lot of money into the business to get it to an excellent condition, and it’s now looking great inside and out. Recent figures show that with the reduced costs that would come with an owner-operator, you will make money on current figures, and this should only improve with time. Tourism is set to increasingly become the economic lifeblood of the West Coast. The tavern booms in the summer holiday period, but last year did go quiet in Winter. A future owner may even want to close in Winter and take a break.

The property also lends itself to many alternative tourism uses, sitting right on SH73 at the gateway to the West Coast. Guest accommodation in the future is an option. The tavern comes complete with comfortable 4 bedroom living quarters, sits on 1 hectare of land, and could be yours for much less than the average Auckland house price.

If funding is an issue we are also open to alternative arrangements to a straight purchase, including a ‘rent to buy’ arrangement. In return for a small deposit and hard work you could own the property outright in 10-15 years time.

We thank our customers and staff for their support over the past 15 months. Anyone interested in taking on the property, and building on our momentum and recent improvements are invited to contact our agent, Andrew Swift of Harcourts Gold (0274 319 621), or email the owners at jacksonstavernnz@gmail.com.