Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Pyes Pā Good Local pub to reopening next month

Ayla Yeoman
By Ayla Yeoman
Reporter·SunLive·
28 Nov, 2024 10:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Good Local in Pyes Pā and owner Mark Lawrence. Photo / David Hall.

Good Local in Pyes Pā and owner Mark Lawrence. Photo / David Hall.

Pyes Pā’s Good Local pub is poised to reopen several months after an early-morning electrical fire in the kitchen forced it to close.

“It’s been a long road, but we’re finally here and due to reopen on December 13,” owner Mark Lawrence said.

“It’s pretty exciting news.”

Initially after the April 26 fire, it was estimated repairs would take three months. However, after learning more about the extensive damage to the building, it was clear it was going to take a lot longer, Lawrence said.

In the end, there were nearly eight months of delays, but that’s another story. And in the meantime, the pub’s team of staff have not been twiddling their thumbs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Lawrence has facilitated work for staff out in the community and other measures to retain as many of his people as he could.

The Good Local staff ready for the restaurant to reopen on December 13.
The Good Local staff ready for the restaurant to reopen on December 13.

“We have retained 75% of our original staff and also hired a few new friendly faces.

“We had managed to find a lot of staff some part-time work, whilst allocating insurance funds for them as a top-up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Some have been working in other restaurants and bars temporarily, which has been a win-win for all.”

Good Local in Pyes Pā and owner Mark Lawrence. Photo / David Hall.
Good Local in Pyes Pā and owner Mark Lawrence. Photo / David Hall.

For those not able to find alternative work, Lawrence and his wife Mel started a food truck for them to work in while the restaurant was being repaired.

“Good to Go” became their pop-up restaurant, serving food at retirement villages, night markets, private events and school galas.

“It’s kept us really busy and it’s been a very different challenge for us,” Lawrence said.

Inside the Good Local, the renovations and repairs that have been made since the fire in April. Photo / David Hall.
Inside the Good Local, the renovations and repairs that have been made since the fire in April. Photo / David Hall.

“Having a mobile kitchen has been fun and rewarding, and the challenge of working in a smaller space is something we’re slowly getting used to. It would probably help if I lost a few pounds.”

He said the silver lining of the fire destroying almost everything “is we got to start again with a new fitout”.

Lawrence expected a busy first few weeks.

Inside the Good Local, renovations and repairs have been made since the fire in April. Photo / David Hall
Inside the Good Local, renovations and repairs have been made since the fire in April. Photo / David Hall

– SunLive

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

Sick of paying 'dead money' on rent, these first-home buyers got 'creative'

Bay of Plenty Times

'Not like Aydan': Police urge sightings of parked ute in rural areas

Bay of Plenty Times

'Absolutely barbaric': Women share mammogram nightmares as breast implants burst


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Premium
Premium
Sick of paying 'dead money' on rent, these first-home buyers got 'creative'
Bay of Plenty Times

Sick of paying 'dead money' on rent, these first-home buyers got 'creative'

A Bay of Plenty couple with 9 children tossed up a reno, but settled on a different path.

04 Sep 06:54 PM
'Not like Aydan': Police urge sightings of parked ute in rural areas
Bay of Plenty Times

'Not like Aydan': Police urge sightings of parked ute in rural areas

04 Sep 06:47 PM
'Absolutely barbaric': Women share mammogram nightmares as breast implants burst
Bay of Plenty Times

'Absolutely barbaric': Women share mammogram nightmares as breast implants burst

04 Sep 05:00 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP