The property on Selwyn Lake Rd in Dunsandel is on the market for offers over $695,000.
Owner Hilda De Buyzer told OneRoof the café's popularity endured long after its closure, with tourists still turning up in search of Devonshire tea.
De Buyzer and her husband bought the property in 2004 after relocating from Australia.
The White House Cafe at 1887 Selwyn Lake Rd first opened in 1952 and operated for about 50 years as a popular stopping point for travellers.
“I had my eye on it, and I said ‘oh please’. I did like the property – it was a big property.”
She went on to run the café for the next decade, selling cream teas and sandwiches to a steady stream of customers.
“It was very popular,” she said, noting that retirement villages in Christchurch would run trips to the café for their residents.
“We used to either write to each other or ring each other,” she said.
Hunt called De Buyzer after the 2011 earthquake to check if she was OK.
Another time, he told her to tune in to the radio because he had dedicated a poem to her.
“He was a very nice guy,” she said, adding the café had also hosted Sir John Kirwan and former Invercargill mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt.
“I met a lot of interesting people, and I did enjoy it.”
De Buyzer closed the café for good in 2016, citing difficulties finding staff, the toll of working six days a week, and an injury.
She kept the property, occasionally visiting with her husband from their Darfield home to mow the lawns and stay in a converted cottage at the back of the site.
“The wildlife is amazing – the birds and the possums. It’s time for another person to enjoy it.”
Tall Poppy listing agent Leana Butler said the café remained well known, despite its closure in 2016.
“There aren’t a lot of properties where you can run an enterprise like that and actually buy it outright,” Butler said.
“Most restaurants are leasing their buildings. So, here’s an incredible opportunity to buy the whole property, and it is only the same sort of price as a house would be.”
