Popular Whanganui cafe The Citadel has a new owner

Manjot Singh (left) receives the ceremonial plate from previous The Citadel owner Malcolm Whitlock.

A familiar face has taken the reins at Whanganui cafe The Citadel.

Manjot Singh, owner of Mexican restaurant La Quattro in the central city, said aside from “a few minor tweaks” he wanted to keep the Castlecliff eatery operating as it was.

“It’s my favourite cafe. I go there twice a month for their fried chicken, and I love all the salads,” he said.

“One thing we’ll look at is extending the opening hours in summer and opening for breakfast.

“It’s such a great business so why change it too much?”

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Singh said all the current Citadel staff would be retained.

La Quattro was going from strength to strength and that would remain his primary focus, he said.

Singh’s wife Navjeet is handling day-to-day operations in Castlecliff.

“I’ll just be sticking with these two for now. I want to make sure they are the best they can be,” he said.

“I think people know me well and they are happy that it is going to be in good hands.”

Singh said previous owner Malcolm Whitlock had passed on the ceremonial plate he received when he took over the business in 2019 from Charlotte Melser.

Melser, now a Whanganui district councillor, opened The Citadel in late 2016.

“I’ll have to keep [the plate] safe - just in case I change my mind in a few years,” Singh said.

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.