POST: Avida Bar
📉 The hospitality crisis deepens in Wellington as yet another iconic venue – Avida Bar on Featherston Street – has closed its doors and entered liquidation.
Russel Scott, the long-time bar owner, described the current environment as the worst he’s ever seen for the sector.
“It’s never been this bad,” Scott said, after officially shutting Avida in May and filing liquidation papers.
🍺 Bars Under Pressure
Scott still owns two other nearby venues – The Featherston and Leuven Belgian Beer Café – which remain open for now. But he admits the ongoing challenges of rising costs, staff shortages, and cautious consumer spending are making survival extremely tough.
The liquidation report revealed that Avida Bar simply could not remain financially viable, despite being a popular inner-city spot for years.
💸 Why Hospitality is Struggling in NZ
Industry insiders point to:
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🚨 Skyrocketing rents & operating costs
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🍴 Supply chain price hikes hitting food and beverage margins
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👥 Staffing shortages still plaguing the sector
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📉 Consumer belt-tightening as household budgets shrink
Hospitality New Zealand has repeatedly warned that many more venues could collapse if conditions don’t improve soon.
⚠️ A Wider Hospitality Crisis Looming?
Avida’s closure adds to a growing list of high-profile hospo shutdowns across New Zealand, from Auckland to Wellington to Christchurch.
Experts say the sector is reaching a breaking point – with business owners warning that without government support or improved economic conditions, the closures will only accelerate.
🔮 What’s Next for Wellington’s Hospo Scene?
While some venues are finding ways to adapt, others are reaching the point of no return. As Scott bluntly put it:
“The city has changed, spending has dried up, and bars can’t keep absorbing these costs forever.”
For now, Wellington’s once-thriving bar scene is looking fragile – and Avida’s closure may not be the last.
SOURCE: THE POST