20 jobs on offer at city's new Irish bar 'a great thing' for region

The new Hennessy's Irish Bar in Rotorua will create 20 new jobs and be re-opened in time for summer.

The bar was closed in March this year for demolition to make way for a new more than $2 million development that's expected to create up to 20 new jobs for Rotorua, according to bar manager Sue Burnett.

She said the two original head chefs would return along with the two original bar managers, but they had 20 full and part-time bar staff positions to fill as most of the original bar staff had moved on.

Inner City Focus Group spokesman Mike Steiner said every sector in Rotorua was booming at the moment and the economic growth was great.

"Every business that has the confidence to grow is growing. It's been years since we have had that confidence in our community.

"Every week we are getting better and better news about the economy in Rotorua and 20 new jobs is a great thing to hear about," he said.

The former Hennessy's building was a 1920s structure and was deemed earthquake prone, and its owner decided to knock it over and start again.

The Tutanekai St building, which also housed Blarneys Rock Backpackers, was brought down from the rear and a large hollow shipping container was used to protect passersby.

The shipping container was removed this week and the building is three weeks ahead of schedule.

Ms Burnett said they were still set to open for late November or early December at the latest.

"So far we couldn't be happier with the job Hawkins Construction has done. The front will be very inviting, as will the inside. It will have a state of the art kitchen and the toilets are going to be 50 per cent bigger and much nicer than the old ones."

She said they had managed to salvage some of the building's original fixtures including 100-year-old windows and wooden fittings from around the bar.

But, she said there would be some new things to go with the old.

"We are going to have some of New Zealand's own craft beers on tap to compliment the original craft beer, which is Guinness of course.

"The menu will be very similar to the old one which is good because it worked well, we just want a good pub menu.

"We have just been blown away by the amount of support from people, not just in Rotorua but people from all around the world . . . We are really looking forward to a great opening and the summer."

Council inner-city portfolio leader and councillor Karen Hunt said she was "delighted" that Hennessy's was getting a "face lift" but would still "remain the same".

"The extra jobs are a great boom and I look forward to hearing when it's opened."