Lumsden has a second pub once again.
The Whistle Inn co-owner Denise Bower said she was delighted to open the doors to the public last week.
‘‘We opened today [Thursday] with bagpipes and welcomed a lunchtime rush,’’ she said.
The opening comes after months of delays including securing Southland District Council resource consent.
‘‘It has been heartbreaking and a long process with a lot of red tape to deal with.’’
The aim of the pub was to serve the local community she said.
‘‘Locals are the bread and butter. I have a slogan — the pub with personality for the community .’’
Staffing the pub had not been a problem as they were all friends who were just as excited as she was to see a new business in town, she said.
There was a pub, The Royal Mail, on the same site which closed in 2009 when the building was bought by agriculture consultancy company FarmRight.
It was sold again and what were offices, have now been converted back into a bar and restaurant.
Originally from Australia, Mrs Bower moved to Lumsden with local Gary Bower whom she met while working in the mines in 2012.
The couple married in 2016.
‘‘Gary likes the idea of having a pub in the family. It is the only time he will be able to go to the pub every night of the week after work.’’
