One of Auckland’s most beloved neighbourhood bars, the Gypsy Tea Room, is being forced out of its home of two decades, after its landlord confirmed plans to redevelop the site.
Co-owner Brett Simeti says the Richmond Rd institution will pour its last drinks by the end of August, marking the end of an era for a venue woven into the fabric of Grey Lynn.
The looming closure threatens jobs, a loyal community hub and a piece of Auckland’s hospitality history that regulars say feels like home.
The property was bought in 2021 by Barfoot & Thompson, which plans to redevelop the premises.
The company’s director Stephen Barfoot acknowledged the bar’s iconic status and said the decision was not made lightly.
Simeti said he had been scouting for locations to reopen but nothing had emerged as yet.
It had been a “rough few weeks” working with Barfoot & Thompson to try to stay, he said, but it was a battle he could not win.
He employs 11 staff across Gypsy and his other location in Herne Bay, Elbow Room, and expects to be forced to reduce his workforce by 50%.
Simeti said it felt like splitting up his family, like kicking his children out of home.
“They’re my children in a way, you know, without being condescending ... I’m like a parent a lot of times, you have to look at it that way because you’re looking after them [staff], helping them out in their lives.”
The bar’s owners lodged a caveat in 2018 to uphold a verbal lease agreement with the previous owners. But Simeti said the caveat was withdrawn “in good faith” the following year, with hopes the property would be sold to someone happy to continue the lease arrangement.
He said when the property was eventually sold to Barfoot & Thompson in October 2021, it was “all roses and flowers” until discussions began about potential redevelopment of the site.
Barfoot & Thompson told the Herald it had been honest with Gypsy about the plans.
The company had “previously spoken about our desire to breathe new life into the building by restoring, protecting and renovating its existing historic features and expanding the footprint to include new retail and commercial office space”.
Simeti said he held on to hope and continued to engage with Barfoot but had refused the company’s offer to move the bar next door.
“It just would not be the same. This place is our home, not next door.”
Barfoot & Thompson confirmed it had offered the alternative location during discussions last year, but it was “considered unsuitable”.
Simeti was literally ingrained into the fabric of the building – when he repainted the backroom in 2004, he had his tattoo made into part of the wall art.
It was a nod to his Samoan heritage and that he felt this bar was a part of him.
Simeti said he had regulars who started coming in when he took over the bar in 2004, and people who had moved out of the city who still popped in for a chat each time they returned to Grey Lynn.
He even had a bar manager who started coming to the bar with his parents when he was just a 1 year old.
The bar never tried to follow trends and fads; it stayed true to the core belief that the Gypsy Tea Room should be a place for everyone.
“I think we’ve weathered the trends, we’ve adapted little by little as we’ve gone along, but not lost the essence of what makes this place, you know, the Gypsy Tea Room.
“This was a space for everyone, a mixing pot of people.”
An A-list of celebrities had sat in the same worn red booth and stools as the tradies, locals and families who returned time and time again.
Simeti remembered his niece grilling him in 2012 after he recounted some patrons being flustered at the sight of a young British man with curly brown hair who sat quietly in the corner with a pint.
“She was so mad I didn’t recognise Harry Styles ... to be fair, I still don’t think I would recognise him. But I would not treat him differently if he walked in again, either.
“Everyone’s the same to me in this place.”
Famed director Taika Waititi often called in for a drink when he was back home, Simeti said, but his biggest star-struck moment was when Kate Beckinsale called in for a drink.
Simeti said he would miss his regulars more than the celebrities.
“I think everyone sees something different in this place ... but to everyone, it’s a piece of home.”
Rachel Maher is an investigative reporter covering Auckland issues and education. She started at the Herald as a breaking news journalist in 2022, before joining the Auckland team this year.
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