Institute to re-open cafe at former holiday park

Waiariki Institute of Technology plans to re-open a cafe at the site of the former Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park.

Waiariki bought the neighbouring holiday park early last year and has recently applied to the Rotorua District Council for resource consent to re-instate the cafe, previously known as Fat Duck Cafe, which had been closed for about two years.

The council's resource consents team leader, Portia McKenzie, said Waiariki wanted to offer a dining cafe service which would be linked by a walkway to the tertiary institution.

The cafe would be called The Treehouse Cafe, and employ two to four staff. The cafe would be open to Waiariki's staff and students and guests staying at the holiday park.

The licensed cafe would be open seven days a week from 7.30am to 10pm serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

In the application Waiariki said it was investigating options to create a "park, ride and stay package" for mountainbikers at the holiday park.

Mrs McKenzie said the application had been put on hold for Waiariki to talk to the New Zealand Transport Agency about the entrance and exit to the holiday park from Old Taupo Rd, given there would be more people using it.

Waiariki facilities manager Kathryn Bloor said the cafe, which seats about 40 people, would eventually open to the public.

Mrs Bloor said they were currently negotiating with a caterer to operate the cafe.

Mrs Bloor said a large lodge on the holiday park was being used as a student hostel while the rest of the property was still being used as a holiday park.

She said they were in the process of applying for resource consent to also create multi-purpose courts and fields on the site for various sports including netball, rugby and cricket.