Off The Track and into the city: Fire-hit restaurant owners set to fill hole in Hastings CBD

Fiona Le and Chris Whyte are bringing Off The Track to the Hastings CBD. Photo / Warren Buckland

Four months after their popular Havelock North restaurant was gutted by fire, Off The Track owners Chris Whyte and Fiona Le are swapping their shovels for paintbrushes as they prepare to open a new premises in the heart of Hastings.

And no, it’s not called Back On Track.

After teasing the venture last month, the pair said they could now reveal more about the new location, mantra, and menu.

“We’re pretty excited to be in this space, in the middle of town especially. Obviously, with all the positive stuff going on down here at the moment, it’s quite attractive to be here,” Whyte said.

Sitting dormant for more than a year, the old Taste Cornucopia cafe site at 219 Heretaunga St East will soon be occupied by Whyte and Le’s new pop-up venture OTT (Off The Track) in the City.

The area around Heretaunga St and the Hastings Opera House has seen significant redevelopment over the past few years, with several new businesses opening up after pandemic conditions resulted in widespread closures.

Whyte said he was no stranger to the area.

“We know some of the other business owners, so it’s quite cool to be able to come over to this end of town.”

Le said it was a huge relief to be able to welcome staff back, as many said they had missed being with their colleagues.

“We really wanted to have something to do while we were waiting for OTT to be rebuilt, which won’t be until winter next year,” she said.

“Our staff are really excited to get back to work. They’ve been here for the last three days helping out with the painting and cleaning and helping organise the place.”

Fiona Le and Chris Whyte owners of Off The Track restaurant, setting up their new pop-up on Heretaunga Street East, Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

The plan was to open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

“Around this area here, there is hardly anyone that provides breakfast and lunch,” Le said.

Her Vietnamese roots will also play a role in the new venture as she wants to introduce affordable and authentic street-style food.

“That’s one of my passions. I want to provide absolutely authentic food that people will love.

“We want to do bahn mi, summer rolls, and that kind of food.”

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the venue will also use fresh local produce. Fittingly, Cornucopia Organics sits right next door.

“We want to make everything fresh. We are going to bake our own bread and gather all our fresh ingredients for that day,” Le said.

“Lots of customers from next door want us to implement the organic food here, so we’re going to be mostly organic. Anything that we can get organic, we will.”

Off The Track was left unrecognisable following a fire in July. Photo / Paul Taylor

One thing that won’t change, the pair said, was the trademark Off The Track Hospitality, which is why the name was kept the same.

“People were telling us we should call it ‘On The Track or Back On Track’,” Le joked.

While there’s still plenty of work to do before opening, Whyte said they were pushing for a November 25 target. It’s been tough, but they were very grateful to their community.

“The community has been incredibly helpful. We were struggling to find builders and joiners, and after a post on Facebook we received so much support,” Le said.

“It’s pretty incredible considering what everyone has on their plate at the moment.”

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.