Hotel owners looking to new options after blaze

13 May 2006
The New Commercial Hotel in Manaia could be reincarnated as a cafe-sports bar, its owners say.
The top floor of the 125-year-old hotel was destroyed by fire on Anzac Day. At the height of the fire, 32 firefighters from six brigades battled to bring it under control. An application for the renewal of the hotel's on-licence appeared in the Taranaki Daily News this week.
Owner Ian Taylor, whose family had owned the hotel for 12 years, said every effort would be made to keep the business running. "Otherwise I wouldn't have spent the money on getting a licence again. We want to reopen but unfortunately that place is now beyond being able to be used," Mr Taylor said.
"That pub won't be staying open. As from Monday or Tuesday next week, we will be starting to pull it down.
"We hope to be putting in more of a sports-type bar or a cafe-type sports bar and as things change in the town, we will move with it."

He had already made an appointment with a designer to draw up plans for a new building but was playing the waiting game with the insurance company.
"Once it is down on the ground then the insurance company and us will be discussing things more.
"But then at that stage it all depends on whether it comes under the insurance company's criteria, whether the insurance company covers the costs," Mr Taylor said.
The new building would be single storey with manager's accommodation out the back, he said.
There were a number of reasons why they wanted to keep the hotel running.
"We have lived in Manaia for quite a few years and we like Manaia. We don't like the idea of there being only one pub in the town and we like the idea of still running a hotel.
"We are also doing it for our cliental and the people in the town," he said.