The beloved Auckland cafe and bar is in liquidation over unpaid tax debt, and its doors are closed. Will there be a lifeline?
In painful news for Auckland’s hospitality industry and its patrons, the legendary Karangahape Road cafe and bar Verona has shut up shop. The business was placed into liquidation by the high court on April 23 following an application made by the commissioner of Inland Revenue in November last year.
“The grounds for the liquidation included outstanding GST, PAYE, income tax, and a Small Business Loan, with the total amount owed exceeding $692,000,” Kristal Pihama, one of the KPMG liquidators appointed, told The Spinoff. It’s not yet known if any other debts are owed. “At this early stage, we are still awaiting responses from other potential creditors.”
John Eric Craig is listed in the Companies Register as the sole director and shareholder of JCK Holdings Limited, trading as Verona Cafe and Bar. A post published to Verona’s social media accounts on Friday announced that the business was to shut, albeit temporarily. It cited “unforeseen circumstances” and thanked followers for all their “support and love over the years”. Commenters shared love for the longstanding destination, which opened in 1992 and which Craig has owned since 2017.
It’s not necessarily the end for the Karangahape Road fixture, with Pihama saying KPMG was “actively” looking into the possibility of selling the business. “However, we have decided to cease trade until we have received further information.” The liquidators’ first report is due by May 29 and creditors have until May 25 to place claims.
The news comes as company liquidations reach a 15-year high in New Zealand, with the majority initiated by Inland Revenue as it continues an ongoing crackdown on tax debt. Hospitality businesses in particular have been hit hard, with 2025 figures showing a 50% annual rise in liquidations.
‘A much-loved third space’
With its glittering gold sign, sidewalk seating and generous opening hours (9am until late), Verona has been a prominent part of the street’s cultural milieu for over three decades.
“It’s an institution,” said Jamey Holloway, general manager of the K’Road Business Association. “It’s a much-loved third space on Karangahape Road and we hope we haven’t seen the last of it.”
Opened in 1992 by Hilary Ord and Janet Sergeant during a creatively emergent period for the famous street, Verona served worldly, organic food under then-chef Matt Wilkinson amid striking, “eclectic” decor. (The name comes from a 19th century house at the address that predated the current building.) Cafe culture was hip and Verona was one of the hippest. In 2004 it was described as “living, breathing coolness” by Viva.
After 12 years Ord and Sergeant decided to move on, selling the business in 2004 to Lisa and Robin Churchman (a restraint of trade stoush ensued). The cafe passed through several pairs of hands after that, including KFM radio station co-founder John Greet, Annabelle Guinness and Phil Randle (who established Leigh Sawmill) and, most recently, John Craig, who was formerly a brewer at Lion.
Popular with the K Road community, Verona still enjoys a unique place in Auckland culture. Serving as a hub for Auckland’s creative scene, there are DJ nights, album launches and open mic nights. As recently as March it was the venue for underground fashion week Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa after-parties. Verona was due to host Breakroom’s “immersive audio visual experience” event Broken Signal over the weekend, but relocated to nearby Acho’s due to the closure.
And then there’s Verona’s unique place in our music annals. Fur Patrol filmed the video for their 1999 hit ‘Lydia’ there. Elemeno P went one step further in 2003, singing of love and “good fortune at the bar” in their song ‘Verona’. It helped cement the place in the local psyche and nostalgia for Verona endures. Whether the venue itself will remains to be seen.
Verona has been approached for comment.
