Spotlight on Takapuna Theatre's Retail Outlets

Street-level retail at Takapuna’s Bruce Mason Theatre has come on to the market boasting a restaurant that is in the city’s top 100 establishments.

Award-winning Art Wok eatery and bar is in a block of three freehold, strata-titled cafes and restaurants at 152-156 Hurstmere Rd that has been put on the market by its owner, who is selling-up and retiring.

The other eateries are Sierra and Portofino Restaurant, which have leases running into the 2020s. 

Savills Retail is marketing the property by private treaty closing on September 27 and agent John Jefferson says there is plenty of upside for a new owners.

“The three restaurants have not had a rent review since 2007, they are on Takapuna’s golden mile 100 metres from Takapuna beach, have good leases, a wide street frontage and good parking next door.”

Mr Jefferson says Portofino put considerable money into its restaurant fit-out after taking over from One Red Dog and has been there more than 10 years, Sierra has also been there for the same length of time and Art Wok three years.

The Bruce Mason Theatre sits on its own strata title and its 20th anniversary was held last year after it was opened in August 1996.

It is named after Bruce Mason, a significant playwright who wrote 34 plays including his most famous, End of the Golden Weather immortalised a 1930s Takapuna childhood and The Pohutukawa Tree.

Theatre was an avenue for Mason to highlight social and political issues in New Zealand society. In 1987 he published The Healing Arch, a cycle of five plays, including Hongi which focuses on Māori culture post European contact.

When the theatre opened it was nicknamed “the Bruce” by locals and was the end of 12 years of lobbying, planning and fundraising by a group of North Shore identities.

A brief was established through the early stages to test its design and an extensive consultation was undertaken with tangata whenua and users.

Working to a tight timeframe and budget, the design met the North Shore City Council’s and community’s needs.

It has a flexible layout with adjustable floor levels that allow it to be used as a banquet and conference centre.

Successful since its construction, it is a popular venue choice for theatre and has restaurants and a bar creating a focal point for the local area.

The theatre was initially run by the North Shore Theatre and Conference Centre and later a board of management. It is now part of Auckland Council’s network of regional and centre city venues.

It is a hybrid venue, presenting performances by professional companies, and is also available for community events and theatre manager.

Theatre manager Terence Harpur told Channel magazine having 100,000+ people attend ticketed events each year brings people with disposable income into the area.

“They eat out, have a drink after the show, and spread out into the Takapuna restaurant and retail district. It’s no coincidence that some of the longest established cafés and restaurants in the area are clustered around the Bruce Mason Centre end of town.”

The block of restaurants has a seismic grade of A+ which is 100% of the New Building Standard. 

Mr Jefferson says there will be more development around the block in the future and it will be a good opportunity for a passive investor.