OUR PROJECTS
Willis Lane
Wellington, New Zealand
Future Food partnered with Precinct Properties in 2019 to reimagine 1 Willis Street in Wellington, transforming a tired basement shopping centre and dated food court into a contemporary food hall and entertainment precinct. Launched in 2024, Willis Lane has helped reshape the CBD food scene with a distinctive mix of food, beverage and entertainment that attracts locals, visitors and tourists.
Willis Lane is approximately 4,000 square metres and is located beneath the Aon Centre at 1 Willis Street, with connections through to the Old Bank Arcade. Often described as an underground “labyrinth”, the design draws inspiration from subway systems, creating a highly immersive and memorable visitor experience.
The precinct is home to 14 food and beverage operators, supported by major entertainment anchors including Holey Moley mini golf and bar, and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq arcade. Together, these components create a multi-occasion destination that supports daytime trade, after-work gatherings and late-night activity.
Future Food developed the food and hospitality vision and strategy for Willis Lane, positioning it as a leading CBD destination and a high-quality amenity for Aon Centre occupants. Our work included local and international food hall benchmarking to define success factors, sharpen the precinct’s market positioning, and identify opportunities to differentiate the offer in Wellington. We then delivered the leasing and concept strategy, recommending the optimal mix of cuisines, formats and operators, alongside modelling to confirm sustainable scale, revenue potential and long-term growth.
