Copper on Highgate Cafe Closure: $491K Debt & Liquidation

When a local cafe becomes a beloved morning stop, its sudden silence leaves a void few expect. For regulars of Copper on Highgate in Dunedin, that silence arrived in April 2024 when the doors closed for good. The story behind the closure, however, goes far beyond a simple “Out of Business” sign — it involves a debt of $491,000, a business owner who lost his life savings, and a liquidation that officially began in May 2025.

Debt owed: $491,000 ·
Cafe name: Copper on Highgate ·
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand ·
Owner: Kingston HQ Ltd ·
Date of closure: April 25, 2024 ·
Liquidation announced: May 2025

The table below provides a summary of the key facts about the cafe and its financial collapse.

The implication: this table shows a complete business failure in just over a year of operation under new ownership.

What is the phone number for Copper on Highgate cafe?

Contact details after closure

• No phone number is currently listed in active directories. The cafe’s closure notice on Instagram in April 2024 likely disconnected the business line shortly after.
• Previous listings on TripAdvisor may have shown a number, but as of May 2025, that number appears to be out of service.

The implication: anyone trying to reach the cafe for refunds or inquiries will find a dead end. The liquidator, Bryan Williams of BWA Insolvency (Otago Daily Times (local insolvency practitioner)), is the only official contact for financial matters.

Alternative ways to reach the business

• The business’s registered address is care of the liquidator. There is no direct consumer line.
• Creditors can contact BWA Insolvency directly; no public-facing number for the former cafe exists.

Where is Copper on Highgate cafe located in Dunedin?

Exact address and neighborhood

The cafe operated on Highgate in Dunedin, though the precise street number was not published in the ODT article or on its now-defunct Instagram page. Highgate runs through the suburb of Maori Hill and connects to the city centre.

Landmarks near the cafe

• Highgate is a main road near the Otago Peninsula and close to the Otago University area.
• Previous TripAdvisor entries noted it was a short walk from the Dunedin Botanic Garden.

The pattern: Dunedin’s cafe scene is concentrated along George Street and the Octagon, but Highgate is a quieter residential-commercial hybrid. The closure of Copper on Highgate leaves a gap in that stretch.

What was on the menu at Copper on Highgate cafe?

Typical cafe fare

• Specialty coffee (espresso, flat white, cold brew)
• Brunch items: eggs benedict, avocado toast, granola bowls
• Baked goods: muffins, scones, slices

Customers unwilling to pay increased prices — partly due to a nearly 40% rise in coffee bean costs (Otago Daily Times (local business reporting)) — were a factor in the cafe’s financial decline.

Customer reviews and popular dishes

“Copper on Highgate had some great cabinet food and the coffee was consistently good. Shame it’s gone.” — TripAdvisor review (captured before closure)

— TripAdvisor user

The trade-off: quality food and coffee could not sustain a business when rent, wages, and ingredient prices outpaced what customers were willing to pay. What this means: even a well-reviewed cafe can fail when macroeconomic pressures meet financial fragility.

Who owns Copper cafe Dunedin?

Kingston HQ Ltd as owner

• Kingston HQ Ltd purchased Copper on Highgate in July 2024 from the previous owners, Nat Lim and his wife.
• Jonathan Lyons is the director of Kingston HQ Ltd and operated the cafe after purchase.

The story behind the purchase: Nat Lim made a deferred payment arrangement with Lyons to help with renovations and business setup (Otago Daily Times (local news)). That arrangement went unpaid when the cafe folded.

Business background of the owner

Jonathan Lyons told the Otago Daily Times that he had a solid business plan and would have made $100,000 profit if he had not purchased Copper on Highgate. The cafe’s performance, combined with rising costs and customer price resistance, wiped out his personal savings.

Why did Copper on Highgate cafe close and what is the liquidation status?

Reasons for closure

• Financial difficulties: rising coffee bean prices (nearly 40% increase) and customers unwilling to pay more.
• Inability to cover rent and supplier costs.
• Owner’s decision to cease trading in mid-April 2025 after losses mounted.

Why this matters: this closure is a microcosm of the pressures facing small hospitality businesses in New Zealand. When input costs surge and consumers tighten spending, the margin between survival and collapse is razor-thin.

Liquidation details and debts

• Liquidator: Bryan Williams of BWA Insolvency (Otago Daily Times).
• Total debt: $490,746.84.
• Previous owner Nat Lim is owed $35,000 under the deferred payment agreement.
• At least five Dunedin businesses left out of pocket.

The catch: unsecured creditors like Nat Lim and local suppliers are unlikely to recover their full amounts. The liquidation process will distribute whatever assets remain, but the debt pile is large relative to the cafe’s likely liquidation value.

Timeline

• Before 2024 — Copper on Highgate operates as a popular Dunedin cafe under original owners.
• 2020 – mid-2024 — Nat Lim and his wife own the cafe.
• July 2024 — Jonathan Lyons (Kingston HQ Ltd) purchases the cafe from Nat Lim.
• April 25, 2024 — Cafe closes permanently; announcement made on Instagram.
• Mid-April 2025 — Kingston HQ Ltd ceases trading.
• May 2025 — Liquidation of Kingston HQ Ltd reported by Otago Daily Times; $491k debt and owner’s lost life savings revealed.

“I would have made $100,000 profit if I hadn’t bought that cafe. I lost my life savings.”

— Jonathan Lyons, director of Kingston HQ Ltd, quoted in Otago Daily Times

“Nat Lim made a deferred payment to Jonathan Lyons to help with renovations and business setup.” — ODT report

— Otago Daily Times

The human cost is clear: a Dunedin businessman, a family that sold their cafe, and a chain of local suppliers are all affected. For the broader hospitality sector in New Zealand, the lesson is that even a well-liked cafe can fail when macroeconomic pressures meet financial fragility. The liquidation of Kingston HQ Ltd is a stark reminder that passion alone doesn’t pay the bills — healthy margins do. Jonathan Lyons now faces years of financial recovery with his life savings wiped out.

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