Pig & Whistle, Historic Pub

What Pig & Whistle, Historic Pub does

Pig & Whistle is a single-location historic pub operating from a 1940 heritage building at the corner of Haupapa and Tutanekai Street in central Rotorua, New Zealand. The building originally served as Rotorua's Police Station until 1969, when the premises were converted into the pub that operates today. The business is privately held and independently operated with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding disclosed, and runs with a headcount of approximately 14 staff.

The core offering centres on a full-service bar and dining operation featuring New Zealand craft beers and ciders on tap, New Zealand wines, and a pub food menu available seven days a week from 11:30am until 10pm (later on Fridays and Saturdays). Supplementary revenue is generated through an upstairs private function room with dedicated bar, pool table, projector, and sound system, accommodating up to 80 standing or 45 seated guests for birthdays, corporate events, weddings, and engagement parties; catering platters range from NZD 68 to NZD 225. Additional revenue levers include a weekday Happy Hour (3:30pm-6pm), Thursday quiz nights in winter, and weekend live entertainment from 9:30pm.

The go-to-market is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the physical venue; customers can walk in, reserve tables online via the pub's website, or book the function room by email with a refundable deposit (NZD 100 standard, NZD 200 for 18th-21st birthdays). There is no e-commerce, delivery, or takeaway channel. The customer base is segmented between local residents (primary), domestic and international tourists drawn to the heritage building and Rotorua's trails and mountain biking identity (secondary), and private event and corporate function bookers (secondary). The pub runs a recurring community programme donating NZD 1 per litre of Pale Ale sold to the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club (First Response Unit) and the Rotorua Trails Trust, reinforcing its position as a local landmark.

Name

Pig & Whistle, Historic Pub

Legal name

Pig & Whistle

Website

https://pigandwhistle.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pig & Whistle is a single-location historic pub in central Rotorua, New Zealand, operating from a 1940 heritage former police station. It serves locals, tourists, and private event bookers with New Zealand craft beer, pub food, an upstairs function room, live entertainment, and quiz nights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub & Bar Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Karaoke Bars & Entertainment Bars (THAFAEAH)

Keywords

• Historic pub dining
• Craft beer bar
• Function venue hire
• Event catering services
• Live entertainment venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotorua

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and beverage sales: Primary revenue from selling food, alcoholic beverages (craft beer, cider, wine, spirits), and non-alcoholic drinks directly to consumers at the venue. Menu items range from bar snacks ($8.90-$45.90) to main meals and platters. Full menu available 11:30am-10pm daily.
2. Function room hire and catering: Revenue from hosting private events (birthdays, corporate events, weddings, engagement parties) in the upstairs private bar. Catering includes various platters ($68-$225) and requires deposit ($100 standard, $200 for 18th-21st birthdays). Venue accommodates up to 80 standing or 45 seated guests.
3. Happy Hour beverages: Afternoon happy hour promotion from 3:30pm-6pm weekdays (excluding holidays) featuring discounted tap beers, house wine, house spirits, and cocktails.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pig & Whistle operates a historic pub and dining venue at 1182 Tutanekai Street, Rotorua, serving New Zealand craft beers, ciders, wines, and a full pub food menu daily from 11:30am. The business also offers an upstairs private function room with its own bar, bathroom, pool table, projector and sound system, accommodating up to 80 standing or 45 seated guests for events, alongside catering platters, weekly live entertainment from 9:30pm, Thursday quiz nights, and weekday Happy Hour promotions.

Product overview

Pig & Whistle is a historic pub operating as a single-location hospitality venue in Rotorua, New Zealand. The core offering centers on bar and dining services featuring New Zealand craft beers, ciders, wines, and pub fare. The venue supplements its main bar operations with an upstairs private function room for events and catering, weekly live entertainment, quiz nights, and a Happy Hour promotion. The business operates as a unified pub concept rather than a platform with modular add-ons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Bar & Dining Full-service bar and dining experience offering New Zealand craft beers, ciders, wines, and pub food. Open daily from 11:30am with full menu service until 10pm. Targets general consumers, families, and groups seeking a historic pub atmosphere in Rotorua.
• Upstairs Private Bar & Function Room Hire Private event space with its own bar, bathroom facilities, pool table, projector, big screen and sound system. Accommodates up to 80 standing or 45 seated guests. Suitable for birthdays, corporate events, weddings, and engagement parties. Requires a deposit ($100 standard, $200 for 18th-21st birthdays).
• Catering Platters
• Live Entertainment Nights
• Quiz Nights

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rotorua Mountain Bike Club - First Response UnitminorOthersPig & Whistle donates $1 from every litre of Pale Ale sold to support this local mountain bike club's first response unit and trail maintenance efforts.
• Rotorua Trails TrustminorOthersPig & Whistle donates $1 from every litre of Pale Ale sold to support the Rotorua Trails Trust, contributing to local trail maintenance and conservation efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Galbraith's Alehouse: Auckland-based craft beer pub with on-site brewing and gastropub food offering. Comparable as a NZ craft beer-focused pub combining local beer selection, full dining, and a heritage character venue serving a similar demographic of locals and visitors.
• Hashigo Zake: Wellington craft beer and sake bar with extensive tap list and food offerings. Comparable as a NZ craft beverage-focused hospitality venue with curated drink selection and casual food menu serving an adult, beverage-enthusiast audience.
• Mac's Brewery Taproom: Wellington brewery taproom offering craft beer direct from producer with food. Comparable as a NZ venue combining craft beer service with pub-style food and on-premise consumption experience.
• Cassels & Sons Brewery: Christchurch craft brewery with on-site taproom and wood-fired pizza food offering. Comparable as a NZ craft beer hospitality venue combining brewery-tap beer service with casual dining and event programming.
• The Malthouse: Long-running Wellington craft beer pub with multiple venues. Directly comparable as an established NZ craft beer pub with live entertainment, function capability, and a similar product mix of NZ craft beer, food, and on-premise events.
• Shakespeare Hotel & Brewery: Auckland heritage hotel-pub with in-house brewery and multiple bars/restaurants. Comparable as a NZ multi-experience hospitality venue offering craft beer, food, function spaces, and live entertainment under a heritage brand.
• The Thistle Inn: Historic Wellington pub established in 1840, one of NZ's oldest licensed premises. Directly comparable as a heritage NZ pub operating in a historic building with full bar service, food, and live entertainment.
• The Free House: Christchurch craft beer bar with rotating NZ tap selection and casual dining. Directly comparable as a NZ craft beer-led pub venue prioritizing local brews and casual food, similar in scale and concept to Pig & Whistle.

Regional players

• Wellington Brewing Co: Wellington-based brewery operating multiple taproom venues. Comparable as a NZ craft beer operator with on-premise hospitality venues, though operating at a larger multi-site scale than Pig & Whistle's single location.

Broad incumbents

• SkyCity Entertainment Group: NZ's largest integrated entertainment and hospitality operator with bars, restaurants, hotels, and casinos. Comparable as a NZ hospitality provider, though at vastly larger scale across multiple venues and verticals, representing the broader incumbent landscape against which single-site pubs compete.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/events
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pig-&-whistle-historic-pub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pig & Whistle, Historic Pub