By RANOBA BAOA
Liam Hindle’s prominent wine, food and bar operations are expanding to Suva’s Damodar City Complex, Grantham Road.
Mr Hindle said they will have a sports bar, a Victoria Wines shop, a wine bar and restaurant operation on the site.
Mr Hindle said constant changes and investments are imperative to the changing times.
“You have to keep changing all the time and improving to be up to date because as soon as you’re on a plateau you start sinking, you get behind the way you sink,” Mr Hindle said.
The total investment at Damodar City will be heading towards $1 million, Mr Hindle said.
“We’ve got a Sports Bar planned which will be an O’Reilly’s and next to our wine shop we’re opening a wine bar which will also have a restaurant by the Bad Dog team.
“So it will be a more up market version Bad Dog Cafe and it will be a wine shop, wine bar and restaurant in Damodar City.”
Confidence
And with elections next year Mr Hindle is confident about the investment climate ahead.
“I’m very positive about how things will go over the next couple of years. And I think one is when we get through elections.
“Once people or the doubters are convinced that there will be elections then everything will be done properly.
“I think once we get through that there will be a lot of demand which will come out. And I think Fiji has a chance of really moving forward.”
Mr Hindle came to Fiji initially as a geologist 46 years ago and towards the end of the contract in Government decided to stay back and start life and business here.
“Fiji has always had untapped potential because we’ve got all the available things.
“But it’s just been in the doldrums for far too long but it has a really good chance to come out.”
Launch of tattinger
Meanwhile Victoria Wines supplier officially launched the exclusive Taittinger Champagne.
He said they had started distributing it last year and the growing interest of wine from the Fijians saw the launching a success.
The launch was held at the French Ambassador’s residence with invited guests including the President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.
“Taittinger is one of the most famous and exclusive brands and is the second most important land holding in the top champagne areas,” Mr Hindle noted.
“The Fijian people change from just being beer drinkers into wine drinkers. We are gradually raising the level and a lot of people in Fiji now are drinking wine.”
Taittinger is an international luxury brand with a presence in 140 countries worldwide.
It has the second most important vineyard holdings in Champagne.
The champagne comes in a range of size bottles for consumer selection.
Additionally the entertainment, food and bar operations plans to launch a website which will be up and running this week.
From left: Victoria Wines managing director, Liam Hindle, President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and French Ambassador Gilles Montagnier during the launch of the Taittinger champagne at the French ambassador’s residence.