What began as a corporate catering business that also sold baked good at the Sunday markets now has two branches - and Mavis & Co's owners have plans to expand further.
Fin and Jayne Irwin this week opened the doors to Mavis & Co - Made to Order in north-facing ground floor premises of Wintec's heritage building, Wintec House in the CBD.
Jayne set up the catering business in June 2010 after spending 10 years at home with the couple's children. At times Jayne was working around the clock, with the help of a couple of part-timers. Staff now number around 40 and they're still recruiting.
Fin has a background in commercial construction. Infact, it was when he was working on Wintec House with Mainzeal that he first eyed up the space Mavis & Co - Made to Order now inhabits.
The space, while very different from Mavis & Co's Grey St premises, could still be described as eclectic. The light, airy space features gleaming white tables and countertops, polished concrete floors, a glass-cube wall behind the bar, faux plants adorn the walls near the espresso machine, a white-washed bare-branch tree in the centre, and old-school wooden chairs.
The Irwins spent 10 days in New York last year, primarily to scout for ideas for the new branch. While they "walked half of New York, going from place to place to place" they collected plenty of ideas, but the one thing that stood out above all else was the lighting.
The lighting at Made to Order is indeed a feature. There are metal rings with tiny LEDs around the perimeter, bud lighting throughout the planted walls, there's a large white wooden chandelier above the bar, geometric glass shades, and still to come above the leaners is a cloud of bulbs of which only a few will be lit.
It's difficult to pinpoint the style of food. Fin says it's all food that Jayne likes to eat. "We're definitely going for healthy but really tasty. There's never a compromise on taste. Taste is absolute."
Fin says Mavis & Co in Grey St is a "diet breaker" with its showy sweets cabinet. People walk in there, he says, and they're like a kid at Christmas. They eye up the sweet treats and can't decide on just one, so they order two and generally end up taking what they can't eat home with them.
On the other hand, Fin says you could lunch at Made to Order everyday of the week and not feel guilty. The express lunch menu will change regularly and will offer protein and salad or vegetable options. Customers can eat in or takeaway their meals in biodegradable packs.
And they aim for portions that aren't oversized and prices that are reasonable.
Perhaps not so healthy, but definitely delicious is a range of made-on-site Mavis ice creams that will be served at Made to Order. Above all, the Irwins pride themselves on offering up great food and service. Their staff are hot on Mavis quality and don't hesitate to question Fin or Jayne on whether something is "Mavis standard".
Given its proximity to the CBD, Wintec and the PwC Centre, Made to Order opens at 6.45am weekdays to capitalise on the corporate market - breakfast meetings and those wanting coffee to go.
Wintec CEO Mark Flowers said his organisation had spent a lot of time and money on modernising its campus over the past decade. "The PwC Centre development, and now the Mavis & Co addition to Wintec House is really adding to that. With thousands of Wintec students and staff on campus daily, the area has a real buzz to it and this development will build on that. Our city campus seamlessly connects with Hamilton's CBD and this connection further enhances our presence in the city. Mavis & Co will bring a vibrant atmosphere to the area and we're excited about the opportunities it brings for collaboration with our hospitality students."
While they are careful not to expand too quickly, the Irwins are eyeing up a site in Wellington, where they're from originally. They're also looking to open in Melbourne where they believe the Mavis brand would work well.