Two years after quitting hospitality, Luke Dallow talks new Ponsonby venture, SPQR rumours

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.
Hospitality veteran Luke Dallow. Photo / Janna Dixon
THREE FACTS
Its doors are shut but the future of SPQR looms large over its Ponsonby Rd spot.

With a prime location on the main drag – where its famous street-front seating was coveted right
up to the restaurant’s July 12 closure, when it was placed into liquidation and shut its doors to patrons – the shuttered establishment is highly visible, leaving former patrons wondering what’s going to happen next with the lease.

On Wednesday, the Herald revealed liquidators had renewed the restaurant’s liquor licence in a bid to make it more attractive for potential buyers.
And last week a photo was circulated of three men outside the restaurant, seated at a table (complete with tablecloth) enjoying the balmy winter sun and what appeared to be lunch.
Coincidental guerilla gastronomy? Or a sign something might be afoot for the famous Ponsonby spot?
Speculation an announcement might be coming, if not about SPQR then certainly something in the neighbourhood, was heightened following recent Facebook activity from New Zealand hospitality veteran Luke Dallow, who quit the industry two years ago.
“I am thrilled to announce that I will be opening a new site on Ponsonby Road,” Dallow posted on July 30, and it would be “a true Luke Dallow bar”. On Wednesday, Dallow posted again, teasing a “life-changing” announcement to come on Friday.
Big News Alert: Life-Changing Update Dropping This Friday!

You won’t want to miss this! Something incredible is…
The Friday announcement detailed that Dallow would helm a “guerilla dining” series in Ponsonby this summer, with each three-course event taking place at a location that’s a mystery until patrons book. Dates are yet to be announced.
In a statement Dallow said Auckland was “crying out for a shot of adrenaline – a return to the raw, unfiltered energy of genuine” and the two-night-only events were “designed to shake up the status quo and remind us all of the thrill, the fun, and the spontaneity that dining out used to be about”.
Dallow has three decades in the hospitality industry under his belt, working internationally (opening Hard Rock Cafes around the world) and locally, where he was involved with Sale St, Chapel and most recently Midnight Gardener. Dallow quit the hospitality trade in 2022, saying it was “too hard” to run a profitable business in the local industry in the current market. Since leaving the industry Dallow has been working in real estate for Barfoot and Thompson.
Last month he reflected on his tenure in bars and restaurants, posting on Facebook about how hard it was to sell Chapel Bar & Bistro in 2020, and to see it fall into receivership under the current owners.
“No, sorry, I’m not re-opening SPQR,” he clarified.
“The city’s dining culture has evolved into something sleek, sophisticated and expensive, but in the process, it’s lost some of its soul.”
Following the news of SPQR’s liquidation, Kerre Woodham, Noelle McCarthy, Jesse Mulligan and Ricardo Simich shared memories from the restaurant’s heyday, and 2024 has seen many lament losses across the hospitality landscape.
Amidst pleas from some in the industry and myriad hospitality closures this year, – this month alone saw Karangahape Rd’s Madame George and Commercial Bay restaurant Pōni shut – the Auckland food scene still has some hope, with a sizeable number of people giving the challenging, rewarding sector a crack.
Ponsonby Rd has proved popular territory for new openings, with San Ray, Beau Deli and Bodega all setting up shop.
Come summer, they’ll be joined by Dallow too.
Emma Gleason is the Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor. Based in Auckland, she covers culture, media and more.

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.