Waiheke cafes offer tempting opportunities

Lure Cafe. Photo / Supplied

Two cafes are for sale in the popular resorts of Oneroa Beach and Ostend on Waiheke Island in the Gulf.

The 80sq m Lure Cafe and brasserie, with a 135sq m three-bedroom home attached and perched just above Oneroa Beach, is for sale for the first time in 10 years.

Sitting on an 827sq m site at 31 Waikare Rd, the cafe and dwelling will go under the hammer in Bayleys' central Auckland auction rooms on June 23 as part of Bayleys' Total Property auction.

Pat Regan, of Bayleys' Waiheke office, says a home and income opportunity is quite a rarity on Waiheke, especially one in Oneroa Village.

"Many people who live here have moved to Waiheke because they love the quieter lifestyle and the close proximity to the beach. Properties that offer both accommodation and an income are usually highly sought after."

He says the owners are currently running the 40-seat cafe, which has a panoramic outlook. Any new owner of the property would have the option of buying the cafe business at a competitive price, or leasing out the premises.

"If they don't want to buy the cafe business, then the vendors will sell it independently with a new lease in place at a net annual rental income of $38,000, so the owners can enjoy the passive income the property generates."

Regan says the cafe has been extensively refurbished in the past 12 months and has always had a good leasing history because of its position on the fringe of Waiheke's main commercial area.

For 20 years it operated as a fish and chip shop, takeaway and coffee bar before being converted to a cafe/brasserie. It has a liquor licence from 10am to 4pm and is open seven days a week.

The commercially zoned property is connected to the Oneroa commercial area's Owhanake wastewater treatment plant and comes with a food handling licence, meaning it can accommodate any type of hospitality business, unlike some of the retail outlets in the main shopping strip.

"This is an important consideration in buying any commercial property here because a significant amount of the island's trade comes from domestic and international tourism, especially with the growth of viticulture on Waiheke."

Regan says the location is one of the best in Oneroa, being one back from the beach with a track down to the water. Its elevated position gives it sweeping sea views.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home attached to the cafe has been completely renovated. It has an expansive north-facing deck which makes the most of the panoramic Hauraki Gulf views and comes with a spa pool and conservatory. The house has wood fire heating and there is a 10,000-gallon water storage tank. It features a modern kitchen and there is a large workshop under the house. It is also one of the closest commercially zoned properties to Oneroa Beach and as such has potential for further development, says Regan.

"With its spectacular views, the property could be a popular small function centre for businesses wanting to showcase the island's wonderful wine, food and scenery."

Also for sale is an adjacent 62sq m two-bedroom cottage on a separate title at 31 Waikare Rd which will be offered for auction separately. Regan says it has recently been refurbished but its retail/commercial zoning means the property is under-used given its strong location and also has long-term development potential.

The popular Nourish Cafe is the second cafe site for sale on Waiheke. Also included in Bayleys' latest Total Property portfolio, it has sat for many years on a 1619sq m lot at 3 Belgium St, Ostend, and is for sale through Bill Ryan via expressions of interest for an asking price of $650,000 plus GST.

The Nourish Cafe has a six-year lease from December 2007, with a right of renewal for a further six years.

Ryan of Bayleys Waiheke says the cafe premises of about 100sq m are at the front of the property and there is scope for development at the rear of the site which has a retail zoning.