Second Mint Cafe to open

Lez Kiriona is opening a second cafe. Photo/File

Lez Kiriona calls it a taste of Wanganui in Bulls.

The owner of Mint Cafe & Bar in Majestic Square is opening a sister cafe in the Rangitikei town.

The Bulls edition of Mint Cafe will be in the new retail development currently under construction on Bridge St.

"I've always had Bulls on the radar," Mr Kiriona said. "I remember when that was a paddock. I thought, when something goes there, let's go there."

The retail facility will include several stores, a Four Square and a BP service station. There will be parking for 140 cars and the site has 20,000 vehicles passing a day, which made it a perfect location, he said.

"If you get one per cent of them you'll be doing well."

The long-time hospitality businessman said business in Bulls was doing well with seven new stores opening recently on top of the new retail centre.

Mr Kiriona said the Bulls Mint Cafe would be in the same style as the Wanganui outlet and employ 15-20 staff including a manager. "We'll just go between the two and plug some gaps," he said.

The cafe is expected to be open on July 1 but will open earlier if construction runs ahead of schedule. Mint Cafe has been operating in Wanganui for about a year and a half.