Businesses aiming for te reo Māori and English bilingualism are finding rewards all along the journey.
For Rotorua McDonald's owners Rob and Linley Parry the commitment to normalising te reo extends beyond Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
The couple reached out to Toi Ohomai last year to organise ate reo language course for McDonald's employees.
The result is a course that runs on Monday nights and has proven popular among McDonald's Rotorua employees.
"The first couple of terms they did specific lessons around how to take an order in the drive-thru, the sorts of things that are really relevant to the business," Linley said.
"They're using it more on the floor in day-to-day conversations. When we greet our customers in the drive-thru with a 'kia ora', that's just brilliant.
"It's just about giving our people the confidence to be able to do that."
Rob (third from right) and Linley Parry with the team of McDonald's on Te Ngae Rd. Photo / Andrew Warner
Linley said she had enjoyed seeing another side of her team.
"We've learnt a lot about each other's upbringings and how much people appreciate the Māori culture."
McDonald's Te Ngae Rd manager Alex Bodley had worked for the business for the past 12 years. Bodley said the te reo course had been a fun challenge.
"I feel a sense of accomplishment, like I'm doing something that matters."
Employee Whetu Grooby said he valued the connections learning te reo had brought him.
"I think it's nice having an appreciation for the language and sharing that appreciation with our customers."
Grooby's colleague Duv Monika, 21, had worked at McDonald's for three years.
"I think it's important being part of the mission to restore te reo as a whole," Monika said.
Nicholas Te Aute (Tapuika) works hard at his jiu jitsu gym to create a "safe place" for people to speak te reo Māori. Photo / George Novak
Meanwhile, Maketu-raised Nicholas Te Aute (Tapuika) has been working hard at his jiu jitsu gym to create a "safe place" for people to speak te reo Māori.
Every class at Te Maru Jiu Jitsu in Pāpāmoa starts with karakia, different kupu (words) are used throughout and bilingual signs hang off the walls.
"Even before I started Te Maru Jiu Jitsu - I was on a te reo Māori journey - and I just wanted to incorporate it within my own life more."
Te Aute said he'd made a "conscious effort" to put te reo Māori at the forefront of the business so it would be a place the language was "spoken freely".
"Some people may not hear any te reo Māori in their day-to-day life because of whatever setting they live in.
"I suppose when they do come into training, if they get to hear a little bit of te reo Māori, it kind of instills in them the language of the country.
