Avenue Hotel in Whanganui back in business following fire

The hotel was closed for two weeks after the fire. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Avenue Hotel is back in business following a fire last month, but the kitchen, restaurant and bar remain closed.

Business partner Carl Falconer said the kitchen would undergo a full rebuild, with parts of the conference, bar and eatery areas to be rebuilt or refurbished.

The fire, on July 23, started in the hotel’s kitchen.

Falconer said all rooms and units were available and contractors had “worked tirelessly” to get things back up and running.

“We are really fortunate that businesses with corporate travellers coming to Whanganui are still re-engaging and staying with us, even though we’ve lost the food and beverage section.

“Caroline Norton [of Caroline’s Boatshed], who is quite a dear friend of ours, has also been providing support. She’s not just a business mind, she has a very caring nature.

“A rugby team staying with us went up there to have their breakfast and meals while they were in Whanganui.”

The hotel was closed for two weeks following the fire.

The fire occurred on the evening of July 23. Photo / Jess Hayward

Guests requiring food and beverages had been directed to other locations in Whanganui, Falconer said.

“It’s probably the tours or the mid-week corporates that would generally dine with us.

“We have alternative arrangements, and they are certainly not worried about not being able to dine within. We are trying to supply solutions.”

While it had been “a trying time”, a lot of bookings were coming in for the summer months.

Falconer said August had been slow, but that seemed to be the case across the Whanganui accommodation sector.

He handles brewing for the hotel’s Mothership Bar, which remains closed.

“That’s pretty disheartening because we have 18 taps. There is no timeframe [for re-opening] at this stage.

“Our focus has been on our staff, getting the business open and sorting out accommodation needs for travellers and guests.”

Sharon Elliot, an insurance broker at Kelly Watts & Associates, had been a huge help through the investigative process, Falconer said.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand investigator John Hotter said it was believed the fire was caused by the failure of a thermostat in a deep fryer.

“It [the deep fryer] doesn’t switch off; it reaches ignition temperature and fire temperature,” Hotter said.

“It just keeps ramping up until it ignites.”

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.