Black Cap and Hastings cafe owner says inflation hurting small business

Blair Tickner with partner Sarah Reid at their cafe, 13th Stag. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Black Cap and Hastings cafe owner says increasing inflation costs are adding pressure on Hawke's Bay cafes and restaurants already struggling with staff shortages.

"There are so many factors that are hitting small businesses, it is scary," Blair Tickner, owner of 13th Stag cafe in Hastings, said.

It comes as Jester Pies in Napier announced it was closing down on Sunday due to the impact of Covid 19 on its business.

Tickner - a professional cricketer who was this week called up to the Black Caps test squad - said his business was operating under the toughest environment he had witnessed during the Covid pandemic.

He said a mix of staff shortages resulting from no travellers in the country, rising inflation, and even paying higher wages to keep staff on in certain roles was making it tough.

Tickner claimed his business was struggling to make money at present despite a steady stream of customers and the latest increase in inflation was one of the reasons.

The Consumer Price Index (which measures inflation) increased 5.9 per cent from the December 2020 quarter to the December 2021 quarter, the biggest jump since 1990.

"As soon as the inflation levels came out the other day we had suppliers increasing the price of food and everything straight away, and for cafes and restaurants it is impossible to change your menu straight away," Tickner said.

"Most cafes have their menu on the board so you have to have an artist to come and rewrite it, and you have to do your menus all over again."

Blair Tickner at his cafe. Photo / Paul Taylor

He said raising prices for customers was always a last resort, and can lead to customers leaving which was obviously bad for business.

He said many hospitality businesses were already struggling to find enough staff and pay higher wages to keep certain roles.

"There is a lot of people screaming out for help."

He said as far as staffing went, they could see up to 20 people asking about jobs at the cafe in any given week prior to Covid, which was down to a maximum of two a week now.

He said opening up the border to travellers sooner would help including bringing forward the date for applications under the Working Holiday Visa scheme.

"The biggest one is getting more staff back into the country, so we can have more hospitality workers."

Currently, applications for the Working Holiday Visa scheme will open again on March 14, in a move set to address chronic staff shortages including in the hospitality sector.

However, working holiday travellers will not be able to enter the country until a later date, once applications have been processed and approved. Self isolation will also be required at this stage upon entering the country.

The Government is offering businesses financial support to pay workers who follow public health guidance and stay home while waiting for a Covid 19 test result or who have to self isolate, which could become increasingly important as Omicron cases grow.

NZ selection

Blair Tickner in action for the Central Stags. Photo / NZME

Hawke's Bay cricketer Blair Tickner's first call up to the Black Caps test squad has been doubly special for his family - who boast a strong connection to opponents South Africa.

"My mother is from South Africa, so I'm actually half South African."

The Central Stags seamer went to primary school in Hawke's Bay and high school in Queensland, but has lived in Hawke's Bay for the best part of a decade representing the Stags for most of that time.

Tickner, 28, has already represented the Black Caps in T20 and been part of the ODI setup.

He received a call last Friday from coach Gary Stead saying he was in the test squad to face South Africa in Christchurch.

"I got a call from Gary the coach and did not really see it coming and did not know why he was ringing at first.

"To get my first call up to the test team is awesome and I'm stoked with it," he said.

"Test cricket was always the one I wanted to play badly and I have always strived for it - I have played four-day cricket for the Stags for six or seven years and played four-day cricket for New Zealand A.

"So I've been there or there abouts but never been in the squad, so it is awesome to get named, and it is awesome both for me and my family."