When New Zealanders emerged from their five weeks of level 4 lockdown, the top priority for many was getting a break from home cooking and finally ordering that favourite takeaway.
Fast food outlets reported record sales, and the flat white-deprived population ensured strugglingcafes got a much-needed cash injection.
But it appears there's been no such flurry of business for the hospitality sector during the new level 3 lockdown, and there are fears it could be one hurdle too many for some businesses - and not only those in Auckland.
Fish Faze on State Highway 2 in Maramarua is a firm favourite for many Aucklanders travelling to or from the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
One might consider them fortunate to sit just outside of the city's boundary and able to operate at level 2, but owner Jennifer Monk said customers from Ngatea and Pokeno aren't going to make up for the Aucklanders now unable to stop in for a paua fritter.
Police and military personnel check vehicles leaving Auckland. Photo / AFP
"Most of our business is people passing through, people that live out of Auckland that travel into Auckland. I mean, the amount of businesses that are shut in the area is amazing - all the cafes around us, from all the way here to Ngatea, they're all closed," she said.
"We're pretty much in a worse position than we were when we came out of level 4 lockdown last time, because at least you had the movement between the regions."
The business has also been unable to access the fresh kaimoana it usually buys from Auckland's fish markets.
"We've applied for an exemption but so has everybody else and nobody's heard back. I'm guessing that by the time the exemption comes through the two week period will just about be up," she said.
"So we've made the decision to just shut the doors because we can't get fish and we really haven't got any customers anyway."
