Patearoa Tavern co-owner Lewis Norman confirmed he was looking to close the doors of the tavern but was talking to locals and hoped they would want to take over the running of the hotel.
Indications of the closure comes just two weeks after the Commercial Hotel shut in Omakau.
Mr Norman said some positive discussions had taken place with locals and he would have more to say next week.
If nothing came of it, the tavern would shut at the end of next month.
Mr Norman and his partner, Sophie Newbegin, had owned the business for three and a-half years.
"But we have got three young children, 5, 7 and 9, so we are going back to having a family life," Mr Norman said.
He said they loved the lifestyle in the Maniototo and wanted to stay in the area, but running a tavern was not conducive to having a family life.
They had bought the tavern in the second lockdown period and he said that was tough. But they had got through that and had enjoyed the time running the tavern.
The pub in its current form dates from 1928 and is on the site of the original "hostellery" — built by Thomas Newton in 1887 — which burnt down in 1927.
Maniototo residents spoken to by the Otago Daily Times yesterday did not know about the idea of locals buying the tavern, although Maniototo resident Robert McSkimming said that was nothing new.
"Those that say they know don’t, and those that do, don’t say. There are always rumours so who knows?" he said.
Just under two weeks ago the Commercial Hotel in Omakau closed its doors. Landlord Harshae Singh, of Auckland, declined comment when contacted yesterday.
Central Otago district councillor Stu Duncan, of Maniototo, said it was a real shame if the pub was shut. He had heard rumours of a local buy-out but cards were being kept close to chests.
