Tommy Millions on Courtenay Place remains open. Photo / Nick James
Tommy Millions on Courtenay Place remains open. Photo / Nick James
Tommy Millions, known as Wellington's king of pizza, has closed two of its three stores in the capital.
The closures follow a string of others including Cafe Roti Chenai, Glass, and The Bresolin.
Last month Tommy Millions announced "with a heavy heart" it was closing its pizzeria on Featherston St.
In June last year the business acknowledged "the elephant in the room" and confirmed the closure of their Willis St site following the Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown.
The Courtenay Place site is still pumping out pizzas after first opening on July 4, 2012, coinciding with American Independence Day.
In a profile on Wellington NZ's website, the region's economic development agency, Tommy Millions is described as being an institution of the capital's nightlife.
"A slice of Tommy's features at the beginning, middle or end of many good nights out in the capital."
Owner Tom Kirton didn't want to comment on the closures publicly, other than what was already posted on social media.
Last month Tommy Millions announced on Facebook the permanent closure of the Featherston St pizzeria.
"I know our supporters in the CBD have been wondering, so it's about time we pulled off the band-aid."
It was a tough trading environment at the best of times and there was a sense of relief to pull the pin and focus efforts at Courtenay Place, the business said.
"It sucks. It hurts. Pizza comes easy. Business comes hard."
In June last year Tommy Millions also announced the closure at Willis St, saying it was a "tangle of emotions" saying goodbye to Press Hall.
"But the post-lockdown CBD is still far from its former self, so like many other businesses, we gotta make tough decisions. I never thought I'd close a site ... and my meathead ego is a little bruised, but change is growth and growth is change."
The news was bittersweet as the business opened a LUCKY takeaway joint, known for its fried chicken, in place of the pizzeria.
Wellington City councillor Diane Calvert. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said trading in Wellington is currently a "mixed bag".
She said the Association's March survey showed half of respondents reported better year-on-year trading while the other half experienced lower trading.
Economic development portfolio leader city councillor Diane Calvert said, anecdotally, she has been hearing from local businesses that more closures are expected from autumn.
She said fewer visitors and more people working from home have inevitably taken a toll on the number of available customers in the city.
"We know that not all retail and hospitality businesses can be saved at this time as we navigate the reduced numbers currently in our inner city. Eventually we will see more people living in our inner city filling the current gap in consumers but this is going to take time."
Calvert said in the meantime the central city needed to be a more inviting place for work and leisure with improved safety as well as people being able to travel by their choice of transport.
Lambton Ward councillor Nicola Young said she was desperately concerned about the state of the CBD.
"If people want Wellington to be a city with a city heart, then they've got to come into it."
