Waitoa Beer
Waitoa Beer is a Wellington, New Zealand craft brewery producing hazy IPAs and specialty variants, selling through two owned bar venues, a domestic e-commerce store, and function hire services to local consumers and event bookers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Waitoa Beer does
Waitoa Beer is a Wellington, New Zealand-based craft brewery founded by four partners with complementary backgrounds in brewing, accounting, entrepreneurship, and music. The company produces a narrow portfolio of hazy IPAs and specialty variants — Dayglow Hazy IPA, Brightside 0% Hazy IPA, Gone Fishin' Aotearoa Hazy, and Freediver 99% Carb Free Hazy IPA — brewed at its Hātaitai micro-brewery and distributed through both on-premise and direct-to-consumer channels.
The business operates a dual-channel model combining two owned-and-operated bar venues with an e-commerce online store. The Hātaitai site functions as both micro-brewery and taproom (12 taps, capacity 50), while the Victoria Street bar is a central-city venue with 20 taps and a maximum capacity of 180. Packaged beer, merchandise, and multi-pack SKUs (e.g., Freediver at NZD $80) are sold direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-powered online store shipping within New Zealand. A functions and venue hire service adds a B2B-style event revenue stream across both venues, with food supplied at Victoria Street via a partnership with Little Penang.
Waitoa positions itself as a community-focused, anti-pretentious craft brand — explicitly a living wage employer — and has accumulated multiple industry awards from 2020 through 2023, including an AIBA Gold medal in 2022. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional funding, no public financial reporting, and operates entirely within a single domestic market.
Waitoa Beer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waitoa Beer
- Legal name
- Waitoa Beer
- Website
- https://waitoabeer.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Waitoa Beer is a Wellington, New Zealand craft brewery producing hazy IPAs and specialty variants, selling through two owned bar venues, a domestic e-commerce store, and function hire services to local consumers and event bookers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waitoa Beer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
Keywords
Where Waitoa Beer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Waitoa Beer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Direct Beer Sales: Online shop sales of packaged beers (tins, boxes) shipped directly to consumers. Products include Dayglow Hazy IPA, Brightside 0% Hazy IPA, Gone Fishin' Aotearoa Hazy, and Freediver 99% Carb Free Hazy IPA.
- On-site Bar Sales: Taproom and bar sales at two Wellington venues offering 12-20 craft beers on tap, plus food and beverages
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Waitoa branded merchandise through online store
- Function and Venue Hire: Event bookings and venue hire services at both bar locations with catering options available
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Freediver 99% Carb Free Hazy IPA |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meal Deal Night |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Waitoa Beer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waitoa Beer is a Wellington-based craft brewery that produces a small portfolio of hazy IPAs and specialty beers (Dayglow, Brightside 0%, Gone Fishin' Aotearoa Hazy, Freediver 99% Carb Free) at its Hātaitai micro-brewery. It also operates two company-owned bar venues (Hātaitai and Victoria St) offering 12–20 craft beers on tap, runs function and venue hire for private events, and sells packaged beer and branded merchandise through a Shopify-based online store shipping within New Zealand.
Product overview
Waitoa Beer is a Wellington-based craft brewery offering a portfolio of hazy IPA and specialty beers. The core product lineup includes Dayglow (Hazy IPA), Brightside (0% non-alcoholic Hazy IPA), Gone Fishin' (Aotearoa Hazy), and Freediver (99% Carb Free Hazy IPA). The company operates two bar venues — Waitoa Hātaitai (micro-brewery with 12 taps, capacity 50) and Waitoa Victoria St (central city bar with 20 taps, capacity 180) — and provides function/event venue hire services at both locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dayglow Hazy IPA A hazy India Pale Ale brewed by Waitoa Beer, marketed as 'Cheers to the lazy hazy days.' Sold packaged (tins/boxes) online and served on tap at both Wellington bar venues; targeted at craft beer drinkers.
- Brightside 0% Hazy IPA An alcohol-free (0% ABV) hazy India Pale Ale from Waitoa Beer, marketed as 'One for the hoptimists.' Sold packaged online and served on tap; targeted at non-alcoholic beer drinkers and 'hoptimists.'
- Gone Fishin' Aotearoa Hazy An Aotearoa-style hazy beer from Waitoa Beer, marketed as 'Catch of the day.' Sold packaged online and on tap at both venues; targeted at craft beer enthusiasts.
- Freediver 99% Carb Free Hazy IPA A hazy India Pale Ale with 99% fewer carbs than standard beers, brewed by Waitoa Beer and marketed as offering a 'floating feeling.' Sold as boxes ($80.00 NZD) online and on tap; targeted at health-conscious craft beer drinkers.
- Waitoa Hātaitai Bar The Waitoa Beer's micro-brewery and taproom bar at 32 Waitoa Road, Hātaitai, Wellington — brewery by day, bar by night — featuring 12 craft beers on tap, growler/flagon fills, merchandise, brewery tours, and seating for 50. Targeted at local craft beer enthusiasts and visitors.
- Waitoa Victoria St Bar Waitoa Beer's central-city Wellington bar at 175 Victoria Street, Te Aro — a friendly, relaxed venue offering 20 craft beer taps, food from Little Penang, and meal deal nights ($25 per head). Total capacity 180 (100 seated). Targeted at city workers, locals, and casual diners.
- Waitoa Functions & Venue Hire Private function and venue hire service available at both Wellington locations — Victoria St (AV system, capacity 180, catering options) and Hātaitai (intimate setting, brewery tours available). No booking fees. Targeted at event organisers, corporate teams, and private party hosts.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple brewing awards won 2020-2023 including Gold medals and Best In Class recognition
Companies that use Waitoa Beer
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Waitoa Beer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Waitoa Beer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Little PenangminorLittle Penang provides food service at Waitoa Victoria St location. Customers can order Little Penang plates directly from the bar and have food delivered to their table.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Waitoa Beer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tuatara Brewing: NZ craft brewery (Wellington/Levin origin) producing a core range of beers with national distribution and a taproom. Highly comparable on product format, market (NZ), and stage of brand development, with broader geographic reach than Waitoa.
- Garage Project: Wellington-based craft brewery operating from a suburban brewing facility with an on-site taproom and packaged beer distribution. Closest direct comparable: same city, similar microbrewery-plus-taproom model, similar hazy IPA focus, similar DTC and on-premise mix.
- Fortune Favours: Wellington craft brewery with brewery taproom and packaged product. Same city, similar venue-led model and small-batch craft positioning.
- Baylands Brewery: NZ craft brewery with a brewpub/taproom model and packaged beer sales. Comparable on the brewpub-plus-DTC revenue structure and on operating within the competitive NZ craft segment.
- Panhead Custom Ales: Wellington-region craft brewery (originally Upper Hutt) with strong hazy/hop-forward portfolio and national distribution. Directly comparable on style focus, NZ market, and craft positioning, though at a larger distribution scale than Waitoa.
- ParrotDog: Wellington craft brewery with a comparable mix of core hazy/hoppy beers and taproom presence. Same city, similar size band, and overlapping customer base of Wellington craft enthusiasts.
Broad incumbents
- Lion (Lion Red / Steinlager): One of NZ's two dominant brewing incumbents with broad beer portfolio and on-premise presence. Overlaps as a brewer-bar operator competing for the same NZ on-premise tap handles and shelf space, but at mainstream scale.
- DB Breweries (Heineken NZ): Largest mainstream brewer in NZ (owner of Tui, Export, DB Draught). Comparable as a brewer-and-bar operator in the same NZ market, but operates at national-scale mainstream volume rather than craft niche.
- BrewDog: Global craft brewery chain operating its own bars and packaged beer sales across multiple countries. Comparable product category and direct-to-consumer-plus-venue model, but at vastly greater scale and with a much broader portfolio and international footprint.
Emerging players
- Athletic Brewing Company: US craft brewery built around non-alcoholic beer. Comparable as a craft competitor that has scaled the 0% beer category — directly relevant to Waitoa's Brightside 0% Hazy IPA positioning and indicative of the secular tailwind in non-alcoholic craft.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Waitoa Beer social profiles
Digital presenceWaitoa Beer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waitoa Beer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Waitoa Beer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waitoa Beer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waitoa Beer
What does Waitoa Beer do?
Waitoa Beer is a Wellington-based craft brewery that produces a small portfolio of hazy IPAs and specialty beers (Dayglow, Brightside 0%, Gone Fishin' Aotearoa Hazy, Freediver 99% Carb Free) at its Hātaitai micro-brewery. It also operates two company-owned bar venues (Hātaitai and Victoria St) offering 12–20 craft beers on tap, runs function and venue hire for private events, and sells packaged beer and branded merchandise through a Shopify-based online store shipping within New Zealand.
Is Waitoa Beer a public or private company?
Waitoa Beer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Waitoa Beer founded?
Waitoa Beer was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Waitoa Beer based?
Waitoa Beer is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Waitoa Beer make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Beer Sales are the primary driver. The others are on-site Bar Sales, merchandise Sales and function and Venue Hire.
Who are Waitoa Beer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tuatara Brewing, Garage Project, Fortune Favours, Baylands Brewery, Panhead Custom Ales and ParrotDog. Broad incumbents are Lion (Lion Red / Steinlager), DB Breweries (Heineken NZ) and BrewDog. Athletic Brewing Company is listed as an emerging player.
Does Waitoa Beer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waitoa Beer.
What industry is Waitoa Beer in?
Waitoa Beer's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.