Sugo chef Ian Harrison and co-owner Josh Fitzgerald. Photo / George Novak
Sugo chef Ian Harrison and co-owner Josh Fitzgerald. Photo / George Novak
The multimillion-dollar Wharf St revamp has played a big part in a record-breaking spend-up in Tauranga CBD's hospitality scene, experts say.
Wharf St business owners say foot traffic had increased since the $4.9 million upgrade, which was aimed at making the area more of a diner destination.
Data from Marketview,supplied by economic development agency Priority One, showed retail spending at cafes, restaurants, bars and takeaways in the CBD was $23.9m for the first six months of 2021.
With six months of the year still to be accounted for, the spend looks set to eclipse the previous record spend of $22,796,370 in 2016.
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said he believed the Wharf St development had played a "large role".
But there were plenty of other factors behind the boost in business, he said.
"We have got a lot of internal tourism as well."
Stanway said there was also a "natural spillover" to Tauranga City from the Mount and "at the end of the day there seems to be more money in the economy".
The Hop House had been on Wharf St since April 2019 and Stanway said after having to close for weeks during the Covid-19 lockdown and the street transformation, he was "quietly confident" about the future.
"The real test will be what happens next now that it is no longer new."
Josh Fitzgerald, co-owner of Sugo on Wharf St, said business had been about 40 per cent higher than he had forecast.
He did not believe one thing was behind the boost in business but said the Wharf St upgrade had made the street tidier and more appealing.
Wharf St was "pretty derelict" before the upgrade, Fitzgerald said.
"It sat as a half-baked cake for years. It was pretty uninviting," he said.
"It shows that Wharf St is a good proving point if we do reinvest sensibly in the CBD it will always be the CBD, it's not going to compete with the likes of shopping centres - that is not its purpose."
Fitzgerald, who also owns The Barrio Brothers in Mount Maunganui, and said he was noticing more customers coming over to Tauranga to dine.
"Before it was always, 'Let's go to the Mount', now we are seeing traffic flowing back this way."
Fitzgerald had been in the CBD for nearly 10 years with Barrio Brothers on Grey St - and on Wharf St for five or six years.
In October last year, he shut the doors of Rye American Kitchen and Spirits on Wharf St to reopen on the same site as an Italian-themed restaurant called Sugo.
They were involved in consultations for the new Wharf St design and knew it was going to be "something special".
"It did take longer to get here than I thought but we just held out. It was like buying the worst house in the best street-type scenario."
Mainstreet Tauranga spokeswoman Sally Cooke said it had been fantastic to see the lift in patronage.
"The restaurants and bars on the street are loving the new space and the increased patronage it is bringing to the area. The ripple effect can be felt across the city centre also."
Cooke said it was "hugely encouraging" to see the lift in retail spend and agreed the Wharf St upgrade had likely played a huge part in that.
"The future for our city centre is great and we are beginning to see the revitalisation we all seek."
Chook Nook Chicken Kitchen co-owner Yd Kim opened the eatery on Wharf St in March. Photo / Zoe Hunter
Chook Nook Chicken Kitchen co-owner Yd Kim said the business opened on Wharf St in March and he had noticed the street was much busier than before.
Kim said they opened on Wharf St because they believed it would get even busier in the near future and it was a good investment.
"Many people will come back."
Tauranga City Council planning and design manager Doug Spittle said the Wharf St upgrade came in under budget.
"We budgeted $5.56m and in the end it came to about $4.9m."
Spittle said the underground services, which had to be replaced, made up a substantial part of the cost.
"The driver for the transformation of the street was to create a more people-focused space. It's a great street and had a really good mix of businesses there already.
"The idea was to make it a place people wanted to go to as a destination, which was obviously a benefit to businesses as well as bringing more vibrancy and life into the CBD."
Based on anecdotal evidence and the high retail spend it had been a successful project, he said.
Spittle said the project was completed by summer and he thanked the businesses that continued to operate throughout, and for having faith it would be worth the wait.
"It was a very hard year for those businesses in that street, with Covid-19 as well. There is pain in the process of transforming city spaces and it does prove if it's done right the outcome can be worth it."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said Wharf St seemed to have drawn in a steady number of people since it reopened.
"It's a good spot to relax after work as it captures the sun on calm winter afternoons.
"People have been posting interesting photos on social media of the overhanging lights at night. It's bound to be a lively social hub during summer and over long autumn nights."
How much has been spent in Tauranga CBD's hospitality scene?
