George Lavelua (17) helped his parents with Lav's 'Otai's relaunch at this year's Polyfest. Photo / Alka Prasad
George Lavelua (17) helped his parents with Lav's 'Otai's relaunch at this year's Polyfest. Photo / Alka Prasad
Polyfest made its long-awaited comeback this month, welcoming back dozens of Pasifika businesses. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ first visit to the world’s largest Pasifika arts festival included a sample of Lav’s ‘Otai.
Founded by Taeao and Tukala Lavelua, Lav’s is Tāmaki Makaurau’s longest-serving ‘otai business, run with their children. TheLaveluas entrusted daughter Rose and son George to take charge during the PM’s visit.
Why are you called Lav’s ‘Otai?
Rose: The name comes from our last name, Lavelua. When I was doing the branding, I was just going to call it ‘Otai on its own, but my dad said, ‘I want my name on it’.
George: ‘Otai is a traditional Polynesian drink. It’s made with a blend of fruits like apple, orange and mango. It has fresh grated coconut that we grate ourselves every day.
Lav's 'Otai comes in two flavours: watermelon and orange/mango. Photo / Supplied
What did you do to get ready for Polyfest?
G: So much. Too much.
Once a festival or a market rolls around, it’s all hands on deck. I was up this morning at 3am with my dad peeling the apples and everything, getting ready for the festival.
R: We made all our own banners and did the designs. I have to get really creative.
For me, it’s a sentimental thing because I already do marketing for clients, but to be able to do that for my parents is really cool. I went all out like this for my mum and dad.
How much did it cost to get ready for Polyfest?
R: Hundreds, thousands. Crowd barriers are so expensive. The whole concept was risky as well because everybody uses a gazebo. I thought, ‘What if we turn up with our umbrella and it just flops?’, but it worked out really well.
Will you make enough to cover your costs at Polyfest?
R: A hundred per cent. I would not have spent all this money if I didn’t know that we would definitely break even at an event like this.
This is a soft launch for us and we’ll keep going. We’ll go to the markets, we’ll pick up catering, we’ll do corporate events if we can - all of it. I’m keen on expanding.
Rose Lavelua says her mum and dad, founders Tukala and Taeao, dressed up to meet the PM. Photo / Alka Prasad
Who started the business?
G: Our parents, our mum Taeao and our dad Tukala.
R: I wanted them to be here for all of this, but they had to run. They even wore their matching Pacific Island outfits so that they could meet the Prime Minister.
This whole thing is for mum and dad. We love them and that’s why we turn up like this. They’ve just done so much.
My dad is a stonemason. He built rock walls for a living most of my life. My mum supports him in that business. Recently, he had an accident while he was fishing and lost vision in one of his eyes.
He’s in between surgeries right now, he’s not allowed to lift anything heavy so he’s basically out of work. Then this opportunity came up and it was really important to me that I could help them to do something easier.
G: Without our parents, we wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t have these opportunities.
I think that a lot of us Pasifika kids can look up to and learn from our parents. Coming from our island to the land of milk and honey, it’s not easy.
They made it through so I just appreciate my parents.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' first visit to Polyfest and Lav's 'Otai. Photo / Brenda Leasi
Why ‘otai?
G: We’re Tongan and it’s something we grew up drinking that my parents know how to make and brought with them from the islands. It was the perfect business for us to not only represent our culture but something that was meaningful to us.
As immigrants, you travel to the land of milk and honey trying to find any way that you can make a living. That’s what mum and dad decided to do, that’s how we found this hustle. It was something that was close to home and something we could share.
How big is your team?
G: We’re a family of seven, so it’s seven of us. We outsource to our extended family - our cousins come out and help - so it’s about 12 people.
How did it feel to have the Prime Minister try your product?
G: It was very buzzy. He came and tried my parents’ ‘otai, then hearing how he loved it was just a really good feeling.
It was a surreal feeling because my parents have worked hard for all these years. It’s crazy for something like this to happen on our soft launch. It meant a lot.
How hard did Covid hit Lav’s ‘otai?
G: Before Covid, business was really good because everybody was out and about. During Covid, we didn’t operate since we work through festivals and night markets. It was really hard.
With the social distancing and isolation, you can’t really deliver things to people so our business definitely took a hit.
Being back at Polyfest for a relaunch has been really good. I’m seeing everybody here again.
What advice do you have for people wanting to start a business?
G: I think one of the biggest things that hold a lot of Pasifika people back is fear. I think that if you have an idea and you think it can sell, just go for it.
Give it a shot because you never know how things are going to turn out.
