Wakanui Wainohu and daughter Layla-Le, 7, after ordering their lunch on Wednesday. Photo / Paul Taylor
Wakanui Wainohu and daughter Layla-Le, 7, after ordering their lunch on Wednesday. Photo / Paul Taylor
"I thought it would be a bit busier."
Fast food-craving residents and coffee lovers flocked to their favourite eat outs and cafes on Wednesday as the alert level dropped to level 3 across the Hawke's Bay.
At Hastings KFC, there was quickly a shortage of lettuce due to "lockdown delays"on getting produce. But otherwises the mad rush was anything but, with some customers remarking that they'd expected longer lines given last year's post-lockdown splurges.
"I thought it would be a bit busier. Last time it was," customer Wakanui Wainohu said, after collecting his lunch from the McDonald's Napier drive-through on Wednesday.
He said they probably waited about 30 minutes before getting their lunch, and they had enough burgers and happy meals for the whole family.
They said they waited for about 40 minutes before getting their lunch but had expected longer delays.
Napier siblings Olivia and Charlie Mirams waited about 40 minutes for their Maccas. Photo / Paul Taylor
"We were expecting it to be even longer. I guessed it would take an hour," Charlie said.
Meanwhile, cafes and plenty of other stores re-opened on Wednesday across Hawke's Bay, with tables set up outside the front of stores to sell goods, food and drinks without customers entering the premises.
Tom Ormond, owner of Hawthorne Coffee Roasters in Havelock North, said it was great to see customers again.
He said flat whites were the main coffee order on this morning
.
"It is going really well, there are a lot of happy faces out there. People are stoked to get their coffee fix and escape the house," he said.
A customer picks up a coffee at Dalton Street Kitchen in Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
"I think people are just loving being able to go for a walk and have a conversation with somebody, at a safe distance of course."
He said they were only selling coffee and coffee beans at alert level 3.
Julien Debord, owener of Cafe Tennyson in Napier, said they had seen plenty of regulars return for a coffee.
"We had heaps of regulars coming back," he said.
"It is much easier to handle this time around. Everyone knows how to do it."
The drive-through line at KFC Napier (left). Photo / Paul Taylor
He said people were checking in, wearing masks and keeping safe distances.
"People are bored of staying home. Everyone hoped it would not happen again."
He said they were happy to be open once again and their most popular items were coffee and sweets.
He said as people felt more comfortable and safe venturing out he expected business would increase.
A delivery man drops off some goods on Wednesday.
The co-owner of Serendipity Cafe in Hastings, Tania Philipsen, said they had decided not to re-open under alert level 3.
"The lockdown has not been as long as last time, where people were so desperate to get out," she said.
"It has only been two weeks, not four or six."
She said they were holding off re-opening and would re-assess when the Prime Minister makes the next announcement on alert levels.
However, she said they would open for four hours on Father's Day on Sunday, between 10am and 2pm, for people to buy their famous custard squares as well as cheese scones, sausage rolls and coffee.
She asked people to pre-order to avoid missing out.
A wide range of other stores have also re-opened in a contactless capacity including the likes of clothing, toy, phone repair, vape, and health shops.
