Red light restrictions force Lion to temporarily close $20m Little Creatures restaurant and craft brewery at Hobsonville Point

Red restrictions have seen Lion make the decision to close its flagship Little Creatures restaurant and craft brewery at Auckland's Hobsonville Point.

Lion spent $20 million converting an old Air Force hangar into the beer hall, brewery, eatery and cocktail bar, which opened in 2019 - employing around 100 staff.

The company said in a statement, "We have made the incredibly difficult decision to temporarily close Little Creatures at Hobsonville Point – our last day of trading with be Sunday, February 27.

"With the current rules, we simply cannot get enough people through the doors while we still have a lease to pay, staffing challenges and our costs continue to rise. We are a large venue with 750 seats and in normal times we would regularly see thousands of people through the venue over a weekend."

No reopening date was given.

Happier days: Little Creatures' opening in 2019. Photo / Chris Keall

While it was not referenced in Lion's statement, Little Creatures had also lost its immediately surrounding car parks to apartment construction and redevelopment of the surrounding Catalina Bay.

"We are committed to looking after the team and we're lucky our team is such a talented bunch. While our doors are shut, they're taking the opportunity to retrain to lend a hand in Lion's beverages warehouse fulfilling orders and operating forklifts, helping to get your favourite beverages out the door," a Little Creatures social media post said.

"We have not set a firm reopening date at this stage, but we hope to welcome you all back in the not too distant future."

The Little Creatures temporary closure comes as industry groups warn that large parts of the hospitality sector are imploding.

Queenstown has turned into a ghost town. Elijah Blue, an eatery overlooking the water near Hobsonville Marina, was placed into liquidation on December 21, according to documents filed with the New Zealand Companies Office.

That collapse followed two leading restaurants on the Auckland waterfront, Euro and Saxon + Parole, closing their doors due to Covid-19 pressures.

On Monday Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced a maximum of $24,000 will be made available for businesses struggling with a business downturn during the red light setting and the Omicron outbreak.

Each payment is $4000 per business, plus $400 per full-time employee up to a maximum of 50 full-time employees.

Little Creatures Hobsonville Point can brew up to 180,000 liters of beer per year. Photo / Chris Keall

Photo / File