Popular Wellington cafe Spruce Goose to close, new business taking over

A new hospitality venue is set to open at popular Wellington cafe Spruce Goose’s current spot in Rongotai next month.

Wellington Airport owns the land the cafe operates on and told the Herald the shuffle is part of a “major redevelopment of the Lyall Bay waterfront precinct”.

“We want to salute the Spruce Goose team for 12 great years and wish them all the best,” Wellington Airport’s commercial general manager Richard Dalby said.

This morning, Spruce Goose’s owners announced they were shutting their doors after more than a decade, to the shock of their patrons.

The cafe, which overlooks Lyall Bay and offers plane spotters clear views of the airport, announced on Facebook today it would be closing down.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure a new lease, which means it’s the end of the road for us in this space,” the post said.

“While this isn’t how we hoped this chapter would end, we are endlessly grateful for the love, support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years.”

NZME understands the owners hope to continue operating in a different premises.

Members of the public shared memories of their time at the cafe and mourned the “shocking” news on social media.

“When our son was born at 24 weeks and choppered off to Wellington NICU, you were our little home away from home when we needed a break from the intensity,” one commenter wrote.

Another said the cheese scones were “fab” and the view was “to die for”.

Multiple commenters said it was a “go-to” favourite anytime they visited Wellington and offered their condolences to the owners.

Spruce Goose thanked their loyal customers for “12 unforgettable years” and asked them to “come in over the next two weeks and say goodbye in person.”

Wellington cafe Spruce Goose announces it is closing down next month. Photo / Supplied.

The cafe first opened at the end of 2013 and is set to close on February 8.

In May last year, Wellington Airport announced a proposal to “rejuvenate four parcels of land along Lyall Bay Parade, extending from the Spruce Goose down to the Leonie Gill pathway“.

Dalby told the Herald, “As part of this, we will be opening an exciting new hospitality venue in the current Spruce Goose location in February.”

“We’ll have more details on this soon.”

Hospitality operator Nick Mills owns Spruce Goose and is also the host of Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills on Newstalk ZB, which is owned by NZME.

NZME also owns the Herald.

Members of the public took to social media to mourn the “shocking” news. Photo / Supplied.

The business is the latest in a string of long-running Wellington cafes that have closed their doors in the past year.

Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe is closing down at the end of the month after a 25-year run.

In October, filmmaker and landlord Sir Peter Jackson’s company, Wingnut PM, decided to close down Shelly Bay cafe Chocolate Fish after 15 years in business.

Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.