Former Staff Fight to Save Auckland's 34-Year-Old Café

When Bethany Gibson and Brad Smith heard their beloved workplace was closing, they didn't just mourn. They decided to buy it.

The pair, both former staff members at Verona café in Auckland, made an offer Friday to purchase the 34-year-old Karangahape Road institution after it suddenly went into liquidation owing over $690,000. But they're already facing competition from another bidder whose offer came in slightly higher with no conditions attached.

Gibson and Smith aren't giving up without a fight. They've collected letters and testimonials from musicians, artists, and community members who want to see Verona stay true to its roots rather than become another fast food outlet.

"We just love the place and love the people so much we want to keep it going," Smith told reporters Monday. He had worked at the café for about a year before the sudden closure.

The café closed two weeks ago with a cryptic "closed temporarily" message on social media. Days later, the liquidation news broke, surprising even Gibson and Smith, who had first approached the owner about buying the business eight months earlier.

Verona has been a creative hub on K Road since opening in 1992. Gibson and Smith had recently started hosting more events, turning it into a space for new promoters and emerging artists to gather.

"We had just kind of started putting on more events and really becoming more of a smaller hub for new promoters," Gibson said. Regular customers stopped by for coffee every single day, many with nowhere else to go that feels like home.

The Ripple Effect

The café's cultural impact extends far beyond daily coffees. New Zealand band Elemeno P named their 2003 hit song "Verona" after the café, while Fur Patrol filmed their music video for "Lydia" there.

Gibson and Smith are planning to meet with the landlord soon to emphasize what keeping Verona alive would mean for the community. They're hoping their "community capital" will tip the scales in their favor, even if their financial offer isn't the highest.

KPMG liquidator Kristal Pihama confirmed Monday that the liquidators are actively working to sell the business and have been in talks with multiple interested parties. The grounds for liquidation included outstanding GST, PAYE, income tax, and a small business loan.

"It means so much to so many of us," Gibson said, her voice reflecting what thousands of customers, artists, and K Road regulars feel about losing this gathering place.

Sometimes the highest bid isn't the one that offers the most value to a community that's loved a place for over three decades.