Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

GO LOCAL! Rotorua hospitality businesses roll out new takeaway menus and call for community support

Zoe Hunter
By Zoe Hunter
Rotorua Daily Post·
30 Apr, 2020 02:07 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rotorua hospitality businesses used to serving their customers face to face are learning a whole new way of delivering their service to locals in a contactless level 3 world.
GOLOCAL

Some Rotorua hospitality business owners have been ''brought to tears'' as they reconnect with customers in a contactless world and trial survival tactics.

The move from Covid-19 lockdown to level 3 has allowed many more CBD businesses to begin trading again in a world many of them say is "completely different" to before.

As many businesses introduce limited takeaway menus and contactless pick-up and delivery systems, they are asking locals for support now more than ever.

Justin Kala Genest, Jamie Bow, and Georgia Moberey welcome back their customers as Abracadabra Cafe and Bar gets back in business during level 3. Photo / Andrew Warner
Justin Kala Genest, Jamie Bow, and Georgia Moberey welcome back their customers as Abracadabra Cafe and Bar gets back in business during level 3. Photo / Andrew Warner
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Abracadabra Cafe and Bar owner Justin Genest said the Government's wage subsidy meant they could not only pay staff but create a new plan in order to open in level 3.

Genest said he and wife Nadia worked with head chefs and business managers over the lockdown to design a new website with an online ordering system for contactless pick-up or delivery.

"It means the transition from this level to the next will be a little bit easier."

When the cafe and bar on Amohia St opened under level 3, Genest admitted to feeling emotional seeing his customers again for the first time since lockdown.

"Everybody who came to pick up their order I knew either by name or by face. It was a really emotional day," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It really brought tears to my eyes to see the support from the local people. It's amazing."

Genest said opening in level 3 was their way of giving back to the community and he has used the opportunity to also supply free coffees to essential workers in the CBD, including pharmacies.

"Local businesses are what drives the community and the economy. It keeps people in jobs.

"It [Covid-19] has flipped our business upside down but we will come out of it stronger."

Discover more

Go Local! Mayor and business leaders back buy local campaign

29 Apr 02:18 AM

'Huge relief' as some businesses reopen in Rotorua

27 Apr 05:00 PM

Scott Inglis: Now is the time to go local

29 Apr 02:16 AM

Zizi Sparks: Why I've agreed to run/walk 100km in two weeks

29 Apr 10:00 PM

Brew craft beer pub co-owner Nigel Gregory said Covid-19 has had a "massive impact" on his business and the lockdown meant he had to close the Brew bar on Eat Street.

"Obviously it had a big impact on staff, the future is so uncertain."

But level 3 meant the pub could start to offer a new takeaway menu.

"We have looked at it as an opportunity to introduce the processes for a takeaway and delivery service into the business because we haven't done it before.

"It might be something that becomes part of our business in the future."

However, operating under level 3 rules were different.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The level of contact is so different for a business that is based around service and building rapport with people. But that's just the nature of getting through to level 2 and beyond."

Gregory said opening in level 3 was like a double-edged sword.

"At the end of the day we want everyone to be safe ... it gives our staff something to do and start to see a bit of normal life return."

The new menu is a cut-down version of the original including pizzas and burgers and some craft beer, with only a handful of staff operating.

"The general feeling is that people are being really supportive and are conscious they want their dollars to go to local businesses."

Owner of Pig & Whistle and Capers Epicurean cafe Gregg Brown said Covid-19 had been "devastating" for the business but he was glad to be operating again in level 3.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Staff were able to interact with each other again, however, business in level 3 looked a lot different.

"The experiences in hospitality are social. You take that out of it and they are just not the same. Click and collect and delivery are two different businesses to what we would normally be doing. But we are doing the best we can."

Normally, he said, the pub would be full at lunchtime and now it wasn't.

"It is completely different, completely the opposite."

Because of that, Brown encouraged people to support local businesses.

"Buy local is the message. We need to pull together and support each other as best we can."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Reg Hennessy, Hospitality New Zealand Rotorua branch president and owner of Hennessy's Irish Bar. Photo / File
Reg Hennessy, Hospitality New Zealand Rotorua branch president and owner of Hennessy's Irish Bar. Photo / File

Reg Hennessy, Hospitality New Zealand Rotorua branch president and owner of Hennessy's Irish Bar, said the bar was not opening in level 3 because it was not suited to a takeaway menu.

"It doesn't suit our model. An Irish pub is not a takeaway pub."

However, he applauded those that were and encouraged people to support local businesses, which he said needed it now more than ever.

Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Alan Sciascia. Photo / File
Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Alan Sciascia. Photo / File

Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Alan Sciascia said it was "absolutely essential" for all businesses to open as soon as possible.

"Being without customers for five-plus weeks puts a lot of pressure on businesses and business owners. However, some businesses can't easily convert to meet and comply with the restrictions so they must wait until level 2."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sciascia said operating in level 3 was "very different" to normal.

"Customers cannot enter the premises and must leave after collecting their purchase. So it's very different for the customer (no social activity) and very different for the business (much-reduced income)."

He said it was more important than ever to support local hospitality businesses because "local businesses employ local people, buy local products and rely on local customers to survive".

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily PostUpdated

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

01 Jul 11:38 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Road reopens after person hit by truck

01 Jul 11:24 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Why an outspoken leader is resigning and returning to Rotorua

01 Jul 10:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

01 Jul 11:38 PM

An orange rain warning begins at 10am, lasting until 3am Friday.

Road reopens after person hit by truck

Road reopens after person hit by truck

01 Jul 11:24 PM
Why an outspoken leader is resigning and returning to Rotorua

Why an outspoken leader is resigning and returning to Rotorua

01 Jul 10:00 PM
Rotorua land once earmarked for bypass set for new development

Rotorua land once earmarked for bypass set for new development

01 Jul 09:42 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP