From street to streat: Looking back at Eat Streat's first five years

Eat Streat has geothermal underfloor heating, retractable awnings and special LED lighting. Photo / File

If someone asks you where to go for dinner in Rotorua, chances are your answer may be Eat Streat. But five years ago that wasn't the case. December 21 marked the anniversary of the street opening for business in its current form. Reporter Zizi Sparks looks back on the first five years.

The past

A decade ago the lakefront end of Tutanekai St was just a street and Rotorua Lakes Council was talking about the need for a dining precinct in the inner city.

The section of Tutanekai St between Whakaue and Pukaki streets was closed for al fresco dining as a trial that year but reopened to traffic about three months later.

Eat Streat was originally trialled before being permanently closed. Photo / File

Councillor Karen Hunt has seen Eat Streat grow from a proposal to a trial and to what it is now.

"There wasn't anywhere people wanted to gather in the inner city, it seemed a perfect opportunity because there were a lot of restaurants there."

Hunt said there was some opposition to the proposed permanent closure.

"No one in the country had done it. It was an innovative build," she said.

Councillor Karen Hunt was on the council while Eat Streat came to fruition. Photo / File

"Some people are inherently afraid of change or unable to comprehend something until it's built in front of them. We understand that but we must continue to innovate."

The council held a design competition for the precinct in October 2012 and a concept by APR Architects was chosen.

Architect Roger Willard, who now works with ARTO architects, said the project was a challenge.

"There's quite a considerable drop from one end to the other and it twists. That meant no two structures are the same."

All the parts were made off-site and put together once it got to Eat Streat.

Eat St architect Roger Willard said the construction of the canopy was a challenge. Photo / Stephen Parker

In 2015 the design won a highly commended award for Exterior Innovation and Infrastructure at the NZ Wood Timber Design Awards.

Willard, speaking about Eat Streat in its current state, said the project was "a bigger success than I ever imagined".

Hunt said it was nice to see a natural change in restaurants and to see businesses evolving.

"Each restaurant has personalised who they are and what they do," she said.

"Once it was up and running at no point did it ever look back. It's gone from strength to strength."

Work to construct Eat Streat as we now know it began in mid-2013. Photo / File

Geoff Ray has owned Papa Tazio for 10 years and took over the lease just before the first trial road closure in 2008.

"I think it's gone well and there's been continued growth.

"There may be business changes in the future but it's cemented itself as an eatery and hospitality area."

The project cost $2.7 million and opened for business just before Christmas 2013. An official opening was held in 2014 after finishing touches had been put on.

The present

Jason Wright owns Sobar and is chairman of the Eat Streat Collective. He's been on the street for three years.

"I think it would be the restaurant and eatery precinct of Rotorua. There's so much variety down here, there's something for everyone.

Wright said the collective worked closely with the council, police and Māori wardens so there wasn't a big issue with crime.

"It's quite family-oriented, especially in the early evening."

Wright said it was an exciting time for the city with development planned for the Lakefront and new hotels planned too.

"It's just business as usual but we're really excited about the Lakefront development and how we connect the development and the precinct together."

Mac's Steakhouse manager Mohit Katoch it was good to see new competitors coming to the street and to keep up they had a constantly changing menu.

Paul Croucher and Nigel Gregory's Brew Craft Beer Pub has been in place since 2011.

"We've had people fail on this street so I don't think it's a handout but it's been good for business," Croucher said.

Paul Croucher of Brew Craft Beer and Pub. Photo / File

"It quickly develops atmosphere."

Croucher said the new offerings on the street were all good.

"Everyone is upping their game and now people are coming in looking more professional."

Eat Streat was made smokefree at the start of this year. In an October Operations and Monitoring Committee meeting the council committee heard an assessment from Toi Te Ora public health found 3 per cent of people in the area were smoking in August.

"During the day and early evening there were few if any people counted smoking. The number increased after 9pm however the actual numbers were still very low. This is a very pleasing result," the report said.

The future

Conversations about extending Eat Streat have been on the radar over the years but never eventuated, Hunt said.

"It really does need the community and businesses to partner for these things to happen. They simply don't happen in isolation.

"When you have community design and support, that's when we're able to get a project off the ground."

Eat Streat has geothermal underfloor heating, retractable awnings and special LED lighting. Photo / File

In the meantime Eat Streat has seen changes in offerings and owners.

Ponsonby Rd Lounge Bar owners Tamati Coffey and Tim Smith last week opened their latest Eat Streat offering, Our House.

Coffey said they realised the value of Eat Streat and wanted to build on the success of Ponsonby Rd Lounge Bar which they've owned since March 2015.

"We were always limited by the fact we didn't have a kitchen. We felt that was our only downfall.

Tim Smith (left) and Tamati Coffey opened a second venture on Eat Streat. Photo / Ben Fraser

"So when the opportunity to take on the lease came up ... it was a no-brainer."

The couple took over the lease of what was formerly Solace and rebranded it Our House.

They said Our House would serve "classic Kiwi kai" like mince on toast, fish and chips, mussel pots and oysters.

Smith said the couple also wanted to "provide a hospitality offering with a social conscience".

So both Ponsonby Rd Lounge Bar and Our House are accredited living wage employers.

Our House created 16 new jobs in the city.

Coffey said the businesses also wanted to contribute to Rotorua reo rua, potentially by offering te reo lessons in the future but also having te reo on the menu, signage and art work.

Eat Streat has seen some restaurant changes in the past five years. Photo / File

Meanwhile, Leonardo Baldi has sold Leonardo's Pure Italian Restaurant, with the new owners taking over on December 14.

"It's a personal thing. To be honest over the last year I wasn't feeling well and I kind of lost sight of it, I lost my passion for it," Baldi said.

"It's time for something new."

The restaurant has been taken over by a company run by Deepak Kundal and Baljit Singh and will be run by general manager Mohinder Sawroop.

Kundal said the name would be changed to Leonardo's Italian Food and Wine and a new menu had been introduced just before Christmas.

They introduced a kids' menu and lunch menu and a new drinks menu.

"Our food is going to be Italian with a Kiwi influence ... sort of like fusion."

Kundal said Eat Streat was an appealing location.

"If you talk about food ask anybody where the best food is and they'll say go to Eat Streat. You can get all sorts of food there.

Taking over Leonardo's are co-owner Deepak Kundal, (left) and head chef Lorisse Amor. Photo / Ben Fraser

"It's a place people want to come."

Wholly Smoked Chargrill & Bar also recently opened after Lucky Gulati and his brother-in-law bought Cafe Ephesus.

Crime

Information on policedata.co.nz showed in the year to November 2018 there were 39 reported crimes in the vicinity of Eat Streat.

The data breaks down to include the block bordered by Whakaue St, Pukaki St, Rangiuru St and Fenton St.

Of the reported crimes, the majority were coded as either theft and related offences or unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter.

Crime on Eat Streat

Earlier in the year Rotorua police noticed a spike in thefts from licensed premises in the Eat Streat area occurring in the early hours of the morning.

In July Ambrosia revealed it had been targeted four times in the year.

The History of Eat Streat.