The New Zealand Malt Whisky Company and the Whisky Cafe leased the Loan and Mercantile building at the corner of Harbour and Wansbeck Sts in November 2005, opening in September 2007, with a licensed cafe-tearooms, barrel house for whisky ageing, bottling and tasting and a general merchant's store.
Trust chairman Phil Hope yesterday said the trust had no choice but to terminate the lease by following the proper legal processes.
He would not say how much rent was owed, other than it was "a significant amount of money".
The eviction at 2.30pm on Thursday came as a shock for company director Warren Preston.
When the trust arrived, the building had to be evacuated and its locks were changed.
"They physically came down, had us shut up shop and move out," he said.
"We were chopped off at the knees.
"I can't believe it."
He did not know what to do now; whether the company could resolve the issue with the trust and return.
"I have no intention of giving up, otherwise the trust will have caused our demise," Mr Preston said.
Everything the company owned, including barrels of whisky, were still inside and Mr Preston was unsure what would happen to the company's assets.
Yesterday morning, there were still signs outside advertising the day's offerings in the cafe, indicating the business opened at 10am and had no expectation of eviction.
Mr Preston acknowledged paying rent had been a struggle, particularly with the tourism downturn last winter because of the recession.
Business had picked up and the company had been making an effort to pay back-rent.
It was also exploring other avenues, including selling property, to pay.
The company had several issues it wanted to discuss with the trust, including breaches of the lease agreement by the trust itself.
The original lease was to occupy a clean building, Mr Preston said.
When the company started the lease it had to spend three months and about $60,000 cleaning the building.
The operation had been employing five full-time and four part-time staff.
Mr Hope said the trust was sad to have to have to taken the action, but had no other option but to terminate the lease.
Mr Hope did not want to comment on what would happen, other than to say any communication would now be through legal channels.
