The Viaduct Harbour returned to life over Labour Weekend, but the influx of visitors making the most of spring weather has come too late for some restaurants.
Anzu, owned and operated by Warwick Brown, formerly of the award-winning Mikano restaurant, has closed. Its doors have been lockedfor a week while neighbouring eateries enjoy a steady stream of customers.
Restaurant Association chief executive Neville Waldren said that at least three more venues were on the market or had changed hands.
Mr Waldren understood "crippling" rent was behind Anzu's closure, and was the reason several other restaurants were barely breaking even.
"In my opinion, they are paying rentals that will never allow them to make a profit."
Viaduct restaurants pay a weekly rental of $60 a square foot and need a $1.5 million yearly turnover to break even, Mr Waldren said.
The average rent for New Zealand restaurants was 6.5 per cent of turnover. "I imagine it's way over 10 per cent at the Viaduct, and on that basis they couldn't make a profit."
Many of the restaurants failed to make a profit over the winter months, but the area would survive, he said.
"Unfortunately, some of the initial people will lose money and others will come in and pick up assets at a cheaper price. We badly need an area like the Viaduct in Auckland. It's just sad that some operators have not survived the cycle."
Restaurant commentator Jonny Cortizo said restaurants that had run into problems had arrived late, set up on a bad site or had not developed a strong identity.
"If you have a strong brand and you're a good operator you will do well. It's the same with any restaurant in any part of town.
"The wise operators would have put money away over the summer knowing that they would have run into trouble over the winter."
Mr Cortizo said there had been a lack of planned events to entice customers during winter, a factor that would be remedied.
"We want to make it much like a Darling Harbour-type experience, where people go to see what's going on. I'm just very surprised it didn't happen this winter."
