Listen
Vanny Keo Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
The owners of a popular West Auckland restaurant say severe weather and continued road closures over the past few months has forced them out of business.
Elevation Brasserie is perched on top of a hill on Scenic Drive on the road to Piha, with spectacular views looking back across the city as far as the harbour bridge and across to the Coromandel Peninsula.
It was a popular spot for locals, and many were sad to see it go.
Vanny Keo and her husband Brett Kenyon had run the business for the past eight years and their emotional attachment to the place was clear.
"It's really, really difficult to make this decision."
They had already struggled through Covid-19 but this year's extreme weather was the final straw, she said.
The restaurant had to close for months because of power outages and road damage, and parts of Scenic Drive were still under stop go management.
There was also limited heavy vehicle access which would make it difficult to get in delivery and waste trucks.
The restaurant was a hub of the community, Keo said.
"A local family live on Quinns Road, she's supposed to have her 80th birthday coming up. We wanted to do a surprise birthday for her, it's this Friday, but it's not happening.
"It's really, really hard to make this decision for us to go."
One of Elevation's regulars was Rex Caulfield.
Rex Caulfield Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
"I'm disappointed for Brett and Vanny who've run this place for the last seven, eight, nine years perhaps, they've made a go of it, but this last flood and Cyclone Gabrielle has really put a nail in the coffin, " Caulfield said.
The fragile roads may continue to cause problems for other businesses in the area, Caulfield said.
"The restaurants in Piha that are closed, and I believe it's probably due to the inability of people to get there."
The property's landlord, Wayne Edwards, said it would be difficult to find a new tenant to keep the stunning spot alive.
"Hospitality's pretty dead at the moment, I'm prepared to accept any tenant at the moment."
Keo and Kenyon said they would be taking some time out before deciding on their next venture.