Go beyond Eat Streat, mayor told

Mayor Steve Chadwick

Restaurant and cafe owners outside of the new Eat Streat dining precinct have met with Rotorua's mayor saying they have not been treated fairly.

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick and Rotorua District Council chief executive Geoff Williams met with members of the newly formed Rotorua Cuisine Co-operative on Friday to hear and discuss the concerns of operators outside of Eat Street.

Co-operative spokesman and Lone Star Rotorua owner Andy Allen said the group had been concerned since the inception of the Eat Streat project.

"The council has poured millions into a project that benefits about a dozen businesses.

"We are all trying to attract more business and growth to Rotorua ... we are concerned [Eat Streat] will have the opposite effect for some businesses who will become casualties when they have to close their doors."

Mrs Chadwick said it was a productive meeting and an opportunity for council and many of the wider inner city's restaurant and cafe businesses to work together for a vibrant future.

She said the group raised concerns around historical fairness, equity and ongoing support from the council for their respective businesses and started a conversation on how they and the council could work better together in the future.

"I'm really pleased that restaurant and cafe operators have come together and formed a collective group to work in partnership with the council, along similar lines as the Inner City Retailers' Group led by Mike Steiner.

"We need to listen to the frustrations of the past and then determine what we need to do to go forward," she said.

Mr Williams said it was the council's job to provide a fair and transparent approach that responded to changing priorities and needs.

"As an organisation we need to move from regulator to navigator and determine how we work in partnership to help build the city and district we all want to grow and live in."

He said the council's Inner City Enterprises team would now become involved in establishing a partnership approach and gathering together the group's ideas.

"It was fantastic to sit down with her [Mrs Chadwick] and express our concerns.

"We want to move forward and get some answers, and to be treated fairly and equally."

He said the group wanted to have an equal share when it came to marketing and promotion of the city's hospitality sector.

"We are not asking for hand outs and we have nothing against any of the businesses on Eat Streat and would welcome any of them to join with us," Mr Allen said.