Food and wine connoisseurs are being promised a variety of new tastes, flavours and experiences as two popular eateries get a shakeup.
In the past few weeks the owners of Wharf St Restaurant and Home Bar have both sold up _ handing the reins to new blood.
New Wharf St owner Dennis Barrington said the purchase of the iconic restaurant, located on The Strand, was a lifelong dream.
"Wharf St is a great Tauranga restaurant and always has been. It has the best views in town and has a lovely feel to it."
As a chef of 25 years, Mr Barrington, who with his wife has taken on the task of running the establishment, said he had a goal to own a restaurant before his 45th birthday. And he just got there.
"Wharf St was a present from my wife for my 45th _ I got it two days after my birthday," he laughed.
While the restaurant had new owners, Mr Barrington said when the doors re-open for lunch on August 15 people could still look forward to great food and the sumptuous seafood for which Wharf St was known.
"There is going to be some really great food and a number of different dining options," he said, noting that between himself and chef Phillip Elliott there would be plenty of new tastes.
The menu, which will incorporate both classical and modern approaches to catering, would also be easy on the pocket.
"There will be great food on offer and it will be a little bit more affordable."
Change is also on the cards for diners and nightlife lovers at nearby Home Bar.
Co-owner Mark Day said that within weeks the premises, which he jointly owns with former Bay of Plenty Steamer Adrian Cashmore and Adrian's brother Blair, would also be under new management.
"We were approached by a couple of local guys about three months back and they said they had the desire to buy the place. They were really keen."
Negotiations regarding the sale of the Harington St establishment soon followed, with the trio signing on the dotted line, and the sale went unconditional just last week.
"It's all done _ the new guys are set to take over in mid-August."
While Mr Day and his business partners enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, he said they had opted to leave the hard work to someone else.
"We will be keeping our heads in the property market and real estate _ where we are familiar."
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