Mt Hutt is 134km away from Fairlie but that hasn't stopped a new Chinese restaurant in town making the connection.

The name of Fairlie's newest eatery is turning heads before it even opens.

The Main St restaurant, replacing Kai and Thai, will be called the Mount Hutt Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway according to a sign workers left leaning against the indoor counter of the store last week.

The South Canterbury town is a ski destination in winter because of its proximity to Mt Dobson and Fox Peak.

But popular South Island skifield Mt Hutt, which presumably the store's name is based on, is 134km away.

Restaurant owner Jack, who also owns Jacks Chinese Takeaways in Geraldine, said he had initially considered calling his Fairlie eatery the same as his Geraldine eatery.

His wife had said it would be better to have something to differentiate the two, Jack said.

When asked if he was aware of the distance between Mt Hutt and Fairlie Jack said:

"Yes, but when you have a wife one day you know that you do not argue with your wife."

A cook was still on the way from Hong Kong and the restaurant would open once they arrived, Jack said.

Fairlie Community Board chairman Owen Hunter said the restaurant would be a talking point in town.

"It's an odd name that's for sure. I didn't think that would be the actual name of the restaurant, I just thought someone had left the sign in the building by mistake or something.

"I reckon it'll confuse a few people."

Mt Hutt ski area manager James McKenzie said while they were flattered someone had decided to leverage off their brand, it was a bit of a surprise.

"I think that name choice will raise more questions than anything.

"There's a lot of organisations that call themselves Mt Hutt this and Mt Hutt that, but Fairlie is a long way from being anything to do with us."

McKenzie said staff with NZ Ski often travelled between Mt Hutt and Queenstown skifields Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.

They now had a new restaurant to try out on the way, McKenzie said.

"We're always partial to a bit of Chinese."

The new eatery is one of a number of recent changes to businesses in Fairlie's town centre.

An architect has shifted into the space once occupied by Paca Shack and over the other side of the road the space once occupied by Oohlala has been taken over by homeware and gift shop Matilda and the Metalman.

Luisa Potter said she would open the expanded store this week with the aim of tapping into Fairlie Bakehouse's customer base until the store built up a reputation in its own right.

The recently-closed L and L Hardware was also attracting interest as a site, Hunter said.