- Havana Bar, a favourite of The Lord of the Rings stars, is for sale as a going concern for $2 million.
- Business partners Roger Young and Potti Williams are selling after 35 years in Wellington's hospitality scene.
- The bar and restaurant, known for its Cuban theme, are run from two historic 1880s cottages, which are also for sale.
Havana Bar and Restaurant - a favourite late-night haunt of Wellingtonians and visiting movie stars - has hit the market with a $2 million price tag.
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Owners Roger Young and Potti Williams have decided to call it quits after 35 years in hospitality, and are selling the iconic spot on Wigan Street.
Young, known in the city as the "mayor of Cuba Street", told OneRoof that it was time for a reset.
“We’ve done our dues for Wellington hospitality. We’ve been in the game for 35 years and I’d just really like to sail off in the sunset and do something else,” he said.
Lord of the Rings stars Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood and Liv Tyler could often be found at Havana Bar and Restaurant while in Wellington. Photo / Getty Images
Bloom and Tyler at the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Havana co-owner Roger Young said they "could just be themselves and relax” at the iconic spot. Photo / Getty Images
“I just think while I’m young enough, I’d like to try and do something else in my life rather than hospitality.”
Young said the Havana Bar and Restaurant can be bought as a going concern with the brightly coloured historic worker cottages they co-own with former Havana Coffee boss Geoff Marsland.
“I don’t even want to think about it at the moment. I just want to have a break, have a nice holiday and a little reset. Thirty-five years is a long time, right?” he said.
Young and Williams' businesses have, for more than 20 years, brought a taste of Cuba to the capital, serving authentic Cuban rums and coffees.
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It was a favourite with the stars of The Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s. could often be found sitting at the back of Havana Bar on Wigan Street in the early 2000s.
Young said A-listers Elijah Woods, Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler would often pop into his cafe, Fidel's on Cuba Street, for breakfast while filming the Sir Peter Jackson's blockbuster in Wellington.
When Young and Williams took over Havana Bar in 2003, it became the stars’ “late-night haunt”.
“They used to love sitting out the back, smoking cigars and drinking Cuban rum,” he said. “And of course no one knew who they were because it was nice and dark out there and they could just be themselves and relax.”
The inside of the historic Wigan Street cottages is just as stunning as the outside. Photo / Supplied
Young said people were always blown away when they turned the corner and spotted these two old cottages sandwiched between a hotel and a design school.
“You come around the corner, and there are these gorgeous buildings, and then you walk inside, and it’s like you’ve gone to Cuba,” he said.
“If I had a dollar for every photo that gets taken out the front there, I would be a millionaire.”
The historic buildings are just as beautiful inside as out, he said, and were popular with people wanting to hold everything from weddings to milestone birthdays.
More recently, the cottages have become the home of Fidel's after the cafe had to vacate its former premises on Cuba Street last year. Fidel's occupies the site during the day, handing over to Havana Restaurant at night.
However, the Fidel's brand is not part of the sale and could potentially reappear at some point.
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