Topic: Herb's Place
Topic type:
A short story of a Rotorua Icon
Herb & Annette Sewell, moved to Rotorua in 1958, and bought their first restaurant in Rotorua in 1974, the 5 Doors, at the Lakefront. They went on to own Ceasars on Arawa Street and the Colonel's Retreat motel at Whaka. In 1980 they bought the B-B-Q on Tutanekai Street, they renamed it by popular demand "Herb's Place" which they owned for 29 years until 2011. Following on from this they continued in the restaurant industry by partnering their son Richard and daughter-in-law Julie in Urbano Bistro, on Fenton Street, winning the accolade of the Hospitality Icon Award in 2012, and in the 2013 Hospitality awards Urbano Bistro was awarded the 'APRA and PPNZ Outstanding Restaurant' Award.
Herb and Annette passed away within weeks of each other, both losing the battle with cancer in early 2014.
Excerpt from The Daily Post, Monday 3 February 2014, page 4.
