Lone Star Wanaka general manager Patrick McAteer says the homegrown restaurant chain - it started in Christchurch 1988 and has since opened 21 outlets around the country - will be a "good fit" with the community.
And, with 35 new staff recruited from around the district, in addition to the many subcontractors who have worked on the restaurant's fit-out, the venture is also providing a boost to the local economy, he says.
While he acknowledged siting the Lone Star at the recently reopened BaseCamp facility on the outskirts of Wanaka might present an initial challenge in attracting customers, the location was also seen as a positive.
"We're a destination and Lone Star is an identity. Nearly all of our restaurants are located outside of the main centres, or on the periphery," he said.
Forging links with Wanaka residents and the broader community was seen by Lone Star as being crucial to achieving success, Mr McAteer said.
Some players within Wanaka's hospitality industry have been affected by the economic downturn during the past year.
Pubs have closed and other businesses have been put into receivership.
"I wouldn't comment on how others run their business. That being said, there has been factors outside of operational controls which have affected people across the board," Mr McAteer said.
The BaseCamp building itself has a chequered business history and was placed into receivership twice.
Many local tradesmen who built the indoor climbing facility were never paid.
BaseCamp was bought by Wanaka property developer Allan Dippie in August last year.
Mr Dippie is a partner in the Lone Star franchise with Mr McAteer, and the pair have worked during the past six months to fit out the premises.
The effects of any economic downturn were felt more acutely within small communities, as larger centres had a broader population base which absorbed those effects, Mr McAteer said.
"I wouldn't be so bold to say there is a gap in the [Wanaka] market that we're trying to fill - there's not.
"We're a family values restaurant and our primary goal is to provide an exceptional dining experience based on quality service," Mr McAteer said.
No Lone Star franchise had closed during the chain's history in New Zealand, he said.
The new restaurant opens for business on Tuesday, December 1.
