A new dessert shop in the CBD has served “thousands” of customers in its first days of opening amid a busy summer holiday season in Rotorua.
Juice Up Rotorua franchise co-owner Vrushank Shah said it opened on January 7 on Tutanekai St and had been “very busy” serving tourists and locals.
Tourism attraction operators and accommodation providers in Rotorua have also reported strong numbers, as visitors enjoy the region’s lakes and forests.
Originally from India, Shah said he and wife Shruti had lived in Rotorua for eight years before buying the franchise.
The couple were “crazy for desserts”.
“We wanted to bring something to Rotorua, because Rotorua was missing this kind of dessert option and a late-night hang-out place, so we want to create that space for people.”
The couple, who also own a cleaning business, said they would always explore different dessert options when they went out of town.
“One day we went to Juice Up in Auckland, and this one hit us really quickly. We need this in Rotorua.”
They contacted the head office and opened six months later.
Shah said it closed at 10pm most days and 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, but would consider extending to midnight if demand warranted it.
He said the opening had been a success: “In like five, six days, we already served thousands of customers.”
The most popular menu item had been the acai vanilla soft serve cup with pistachio sauce.
Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua co-owner Keith Kolver said Rotorua was an “awesome place to stay and play”.
“We’re ahead of last year, which is great, and our hot tubs are doing really well.
“There was a bit of bad weather that came through that maybe deterred people from going to the lakes, so they headed to a hot tub instead …
“At the same time, there was less people heading off into the forest next to us to go mountain biking … so they all came and sat in a hot tub too.”
Kolver said the business opened two new private saunas one week before Christmas, which were attracting “quite good repeat business”.
The saunas were built with Japanese hinoki wood and had “floor to ceiling windows that look over ponds and waterfalls and trees”.
There were also cold plunge tubs where people could cool off before returning to the “hot box”.
All Seasons Holiday Park Rotorua manager Tracie Thornborough said it had been busy with domestic and international guests.
“They are loving the treetop walk, which is one of the big attractions. The lakes - we have a lot of boaters that go out water-skiing and fishing.
“There’s a lot of good-sized fish caught this summer, which is a big bonus for our campers because we do a fishing comp.”
Thornborough said many international visitors were from Germany and Switzerland.
“When they turn up here and we tell them all the stuff they can do … they’re staying for like four to five nights now.”
Millennium Hotel Rotorua general manager Pipiana Whiston said visitor numbers had been strong this summer, with international and domestic travellers choosing to stay in Rotorua.
“Following the completion of our rooms refurbishment in October, we have fully reopened for the first time since 2020, and have been thrilled with the level of demand, which has outstripped the past five years.
“Despite this summer’s mercurial weather, we have seen visitors eager to make the most of their break, taking in all of the Rotorua attractions, rain or shine.”
Te Puia - New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) chief executive Tim Cossar said trading was up on previous years in the summer peak season, “but so is the cost of doing business“.
“It is key for us to retain and grow profitability, so we ensure business sustainability for our iwi owners.”
Cossar said Te Puia needed to generate strong profits to support the NZMACI training programmes, which were not supported by Government funding.
The institute protected and transferred traditional mātauranga Māori knowledge, and was home to the national wood, stone, bone and weaving schools.
“NZMACI is an incredibly important part of the cultural and visitor experience.”
Cossar said long weekends were “typically strong” as domestic and local visitation spiked.
Its Waitangi Day Whānau Day would sell out with locals going for children’s activities, a food and craft market, and live carving and weaving demonstrations.
“We are busy until April with nice steady international visitor demand, so every weekend at this time of the year feels like a long weekend.”
RotoruaNZ head of commercial Sam Hulton said many operators had noted a “busier than expected summer so far”, starting with the Whaka 100 on Labour Weekend.
“Events have followed a typical summer rhythm and are tracking toward a strong finish through February and March.”
The most recent available visitor accommodation capacity data showed Rotorua units were 63.3% occupied in the month ending November, about the same as that period last summer (63%). Hotels were the busiest accommodation type.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.