Not previously known as a night-time spot, Willis Lane has become a dynamic dining destination
W
illis Lane is an underground food and entertainment precinct that emerged through a double reform: the reform
of the building and the reform of its former reputation as a dingy food court. Located in the subterranean side of
the 26-story AON Centre in Wellington’s Central Business District (CBD), Willis Lane offers 14 food outlets and a large entertainment space with a mini golf course and an arcade. “It was one of the first food courts in the
city, in a part of the CBD not known for its after-hours energy. When my client bought the building, it was in a really bad state of repair,” says Stuart Robertson FCSI, director of consulting firm Mean Business, who developed the food side of the project for owners Precinct Properties. “We had to sell a lot of people on the vision of a world-class food precinct that was going to be artisanal, dynamic, and novel. It was quite a perception change that we had to create.” To do that, Robertson assembled a
variety of independent food operators. All
outlets at Willis Lane have a different food offer spanning Eastern, Western and Latin American cuisines, as well as a craft brewery, and an ice-cream parlor. As Michael Sweetman, project director
at Precinct Properties, explains, “Getting the food and beverage mix and operational model right was one of the biggest challenges. We set out to deliver a precinct that felt international in quality but grounded in Wellington’s character. Success depended on how it worked as a whole.”
BELOW THE SURFACE
As a food precinct strategist, Robertson’s work sits above the design, between the end consumer, the tenant, and the landlord, so that the result works commercially and operationally for all three. With Willis Lane’s operators, that meant hands-on business support to develop their strategy: “A lot of them were small mom-and-dad operations with a really good product and brand, but without a proper business plan. I helped them refine their menu and design an efficient fit-out. Repeating that process 10
times was quite a challenge,” he explains. Tat challenge was compounded by a difficult leasing market. Robertson and Precinct Properties had to get creative with leases, to de-risk entry for tenants, and make sure deals were still profitable for the landlord. Running beneath all of this was the
structural renovation work: “Te building was getting earthquake-strengthened,” explains Robertson. “It was a massive construction project that was marching along at its own pace that didn’t really align with our timing. Tis created small design challenges that came up all the time.” Te final result was exactly as Precinct
Properties had envisaged. For Robertson, much of that came down to their determination and flexible approach: “It was quite a novel situation to work with a client so committed to doing whatever it took and with the ability to change course confidently to meet the market. If we can create an ecosystem where tenants can thrive, customers keep on returning, and landlords can maximize their yields, we create something that keeps on getting stronger.”
The food court is host to 14 outlets serving a range of cuisines
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