Molten restaurant at 422 Mount Eden Rd encompasses a popular cafe. Photo / Supplied
Molten restaurant, which is regarded by many as a Mt Eden institution, is now for sale as a going concern business within leased premises.
Established almost 12 years ago by TV chef Michael Van de Elzen and his wife Belinda, the award-winning restaurant and wine bar is situated in the heart of Mt Eden village at 422 Mount Eden Rd.
The restaurant is within walking distance from Eden Park, says ABC business broker Dayne Tomczyk - who thinks Molten could be purchased by a "quick learner", and even someone relatively new to the hospitality trade, as it is effectively run under management and requires a minimum amount of administration and upkeep.
"The wine bar trades six nights a week and the restaurant five, with the premises closed on Sundays unless hired out for a function. The liquor licence allows for trade up until 10pm outside and until 2am inside," he says.
"There is scope for trading lunches, and brunch is a possibility with most of the cafe's trade spilling out onto the pavements on Saturdays and Sunday mornings."
Describing the layout, Tomczyk lists two private dining rooms, a main restaurant, large fully covered courtyard and a bar.
"Molten is capable of catering to private corporate groups, weddings, birthdays and family gatherings without interrupting regular trade. It has an excellent reputation having featured regularly in the Metro Top 50 (winning awards for best value and best wine list and runner up for best bar), and receiving great reviews from Cuisine, Viva (including being named in the Viva best restaurants list for 2016), the New Zealand Herald, Concrete Playground and Urban List."
The restaurant features a large central kitchen with a pizza oven, in addition to regular equipment, with a large parilla-styled wood-fired grill and extraction system in the courtyard.
"Wood fire cooking is gaining great momentum overseas and the trend is just about to hit Auckland," says Tomczyk.
"This set-up is comfortably capable of catering to large numbers. During the last Bledisloe Cup match, Molten catered for 110 guests dining from a two-course set menu with everyone on the premises arriving between 5pm and 6pm and the last guest having left at 7.05pm, with the restaurant ready to accommodate another seating by 7.20pm."
The kitchen is run with four full-time and three part-time staff, including two kitchen porters (KPs).
Tomczyk says the head chef is on a salary and all other staff members are paid an hourly wage.
"The floor is staffed with three full-time and four part-time employees. The proprietor covers marketing, payroll, accounts reconciliation, accounts receivable and accounts payable, front of house rostering and functions management.
"These tasks are all performed on-line and can be done from home. In addition, the proprietor works on the floor on very busy evenings, for example, during restaurant judging season or when important clients are on the premises. The proprietor also covers staff absences."
"But I'm almost certain that, regardless of the need for hard work in this industry, owning a Mt Eden icon like Molten would be a labour of love for many." Tomczyk says.