The Beaumont Hotel and Holiday Park has new owners who are familiar faces.
The well-known watering hole on the cusp of Central Otago, previously owned by Contact Energy, has been leased to former managers Gunnar Egilsson and Alison Mills for the past five and a-half years.
Now the husband and wife team have bought the business outright.
They took ownership on December 8.
"Now it's ours and we can make things happen,'' Ms Mills said.
Planned work included upgrading the toilet block, building new outdoor units and other "superficial'' upgrades, such as replacing carpet.
It was important to maintain the classic look and feel of the old country pub, she said.
"This place has got a bit of character. A lot of other old country pubs have been stripped out and made new or modern, whereas this one hasn't.''
She and her husband worked hard to ensure there was continued support from locals and the police.
They often cooked meals late into the night, provided courtesy services and offered patrons a place to stay overnight if they thought they had drunk too much.
"We get a great amount of satisfaction from the feedback we get for our customer service.''
Ms Mills managed a bar in Iceland for 11 years, where she met her husband, before they moved to New Zealand.
She said the culture of drinking was very similar all over the world, but New Zealanders liked their beer more than their spirits.
She was optimistic they could carry on for up to 10 years.
"My husband says five,'' she said.
"We'll keep plugging away at it until we've got it up to a good standard.''
