Dear Jervois Is Beloved By Locals

Head to Herne Bay’s Jervois Rd any day of the week and you’ll find it bustling with locals on their morning coffee run, catching up at their favourite brunch spot, and stopping by the small stores on this famous stretch of road in Tāmaki Makaurau. One of them, the endearingly named Dear Jervois – its name an ode to its iconic location — has been dishing up inventive brunch food, Eightthirty Coffee and friendly service to regulars, and visitors from farther afield, ever since opening its doors eight years ago. It’s seen the neighbourhood change, but not by much, and local support has been integral.

This support is something being celebrated by American Express, with the return of its annual Shop Small campaign — back for its third year. During Shop Small New Zealanders are encouraged to spend at small businesses, with American Express rewarding eligible Card Members when they do. The goal is an important one: to see small businesses thrive. To discuss why supporting local is so important, Viva talks to the woman behind beloved Herne Bay café Dear Jervois, Daleya Ali, about how her business has survived and thrived.

For those who haven’t been to Dear Jervois before, could you give us a rundown on the restaurant — its ethos, offering and approach to hospitality? What can visitors expect to find at Dear Jervois?

Dear Jervois is a quaint café in the heart of Herne Bay that brings in a vast demographic of people from all over New Zealand. When you visit us you will get a team of friendly faces that make up our beautiful Dear Jervois family, the smell of fresh ground coffee beans, and a rustic atmosphere - from our decor to our food. We offer a great brunch menu that includes a multicultural take on multiple cuisines from European to Middle Eastern and Asian, and you can expect delicious coffees made with lots of care and passion. We are down to earth, and welcome everyone to enjoy a relaxing time, whether it’s for coffee or a nice brunch with family or friends.

Could you tell us a little about your role — what do you do and what does a normal day look like for you?

Dear Jervois is a family owned business and has been open since 2014. My family and I bought it out back in August of 2019 and it’s like we’ve had it since its birth! I am one of the owners, but also manage the café. A normal day? Well that depends on the day! Hospitality is very unpredictable (especially recently) so sometimes I am catching up on lots of admin and emails, and other days I am on the floor with the team. Either way, it’s never a dull day!

Do you have a close relationship with your suppliers?

Yes! We make sure to have a great relationship with all our suppliers. We make it a point to support local businesses like they have supported us. One of our most notable and longstanding suppliers is Eighthirty Coffee Roasters. They supply our delicious coffee beans and have supported us for many years now — they are always helpful to us and our team and have always had our back! It’s important for us to have unique and authentic local brands, especially up-and-coming ones, as we know we have a platform that can help boost their profile. It’s a Small business that deserves to be recognised.

What are your favourite dishes on the menu right now? 

It’s hard to choose so I’ll give you my top three! DJ waffles, mushroom and rosti stack, and creamy mushrooms.

Does Dear Jervois have any famous dishes or classics that have always stayed on the menu? 

We have quite a few that have lasted a long time. Of course, from our brunch menu, the eggs bene, mushroom rosti stack, zucchini fritter, and smashed avocado on rye are classics and customer favourites. Our DJ waffles, kimchi fried rice, and shakshuka are always asked about! We have a vast selection of dishes that cater to every taste.

A hot spot when it opened, Dear Jervois has stuck around to become something of a Herne Bay institution. How have you ensured this longevity, in a neighbourhood with a lot of popular cafés, and why is Dear Jervois still so popular?

I think there are a lot of reasons we are loved. The biggest is the customers and our regulars. We try our best to make sure we know who is supporting us, especially in our era of unknowns. We get to know them and we understand that we inevitably become a part of their day-to-day life. We also make sure to have a team we call family. Even though hospitality is an in-and-out industry, our team will forever be one unit who works together to try and give a great experience. And, of course, our food and coffee aren’t too shabby if I do say so myself!

Café culture is a big thing in New Zealand, especially in Auckland. Why do you think it’s become such a cornerstone of people’s lives and social interactions?

I am from a country where café culture is not very prominent, so when I moved here it was so refreshing and great to see how big it is here! I think it’s because of how beautiful New Zealand is to be honest. I think it’s a country with great outdoor weather (for the most part) and beautiful landscapes, so it’s inviting to go out and grab a cup of coffee and a great breakfast. People are also very friendly and love catching up with each other, and what better way to do that than in a café? Kiwis love their coffee too.

Herne Bay is full of restaurants, cafés, shops and, of course, many residents — could you tell us about what being part of this neighbourhood community has been like for Dear Jervois? Is there a sense of togetherness and mutual support?  

There is a big local presence and support that comes with being a neighbourhood café. We love getting to know our regulars — they understand us better and are more accepting of the good and bad times. Hospitality has really gone through a tough time, like many other industries, and we’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs here at Dear Jervois. To many, it may seem fine at first glance, but the people who come to us every day will know the ins and outs of those ups and downs and they have always been supportive and understanding.

What Herne Bay establishments are a favourite of yours, or have a close relationship with Dear Jervois? 

We love all our neighbours! We all want the same thing and that is to give our customers the best and most comfortable experience possible.

Why is fostering a neighbourhood community so important for small businesses?

It’s because they are who make your café the quaint place that it is. Neighbourhood means neighbours, and they most likely know each other and want to meet each other outside of their homes. What better way to do that than at a trustworthy neighbourhood café where the environment is full of the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and hot food?

The last few years have been challenging in a lot of ways, but they’ve also given New Zealanders motivation to connect with and support local businesses. Not to mention people are relishing real-life experiences again, like frequenting restaurants. Could you speak to this — what has been the journey experienced by Dear Jervois and its staff during this time? What have you learned from this, adapted to, or innovated?

It has been tough, to say the least. I think can speak for anyone in any industry that’s experienced a challenging road of ups and downs. It has definitely been a testing time for us here at Dear Jervois, and sometimes still continues to be. I’ve always said that hospitality has always been an unpredictable field in itself, but add a pandemic and it’s beyond unpredictable.

Trying to navigate staff shortages while having people away was extremely hard and tiresome for them and for the business. We push through and try to stay strong as we know it will get better. I’ve learned that always expect the unexpected and know that even though life can throw some hardships at you, there’s always going to be a silver lining at some point.

I’ve also learned that most people will be understanding, but not all. And I’ve learned that you have to have a great team that wants to help both the business and themselves grow, and that working together to accomplish that will help everyone thrive. You are always learning and it is always an exciting and adventurous path, even with a small family owned business.

What’s it like owning and running a café in 2022? What have you learned since Dear Jervois opened? 

It’s like having a child in the best way. I call Dear Jervois my baby. My family and I put our all into it every day to raise it and hope that it turns out great. It's my life and my everything. I haven’t always been there since it opened, but it definitely feels like it.

How has the support of your patrons and customers helped Dear Jervois get to where it is today? Why should New Zealanders be supporting local businesses?

We see all different types of customers come from all over. Our customer demographic is vast and they keep it alive. They’ve believed in us and have given us the great privilege of giving them an experience we are proud of.

New Zealanders supporting local businesses is vital because we know the importance and effect of this support in our time. We can't do much without you guys! It ultimately makes us stronger and hopeful for the future.

How does American Express Shop Small encourage this, and what does it mean to have such a big global company throwing its weight and influence behind supporting small local businesses in Aotearoa?

It’s amazing! So far, anyone that uses American Express has been really happy when we tell them about Shop Small! I think it’s smart and can help bring in more customers. It makes both the businesses and customers feel important and appreciated.

Shop Small has returned to New Zealand for its third year. Founded by American Express, Shop Small aims to celebrate small businesses, highlight their importance within our communities and rally consumers to support them. There’s a win for shoppers too.

Get up to $50 back for supporting the places you love. Simply save the Shop Small offer to your eligible American Express Card, spend $10 or more in one transaction, at participating small businesses online or instore, and get $5 back, up to 10 times.*

Visit amexshopsmallmap.co.nz to find a great range of small businesses for you to visit, like Dear Jervois and information on how to redeem the Shop Small Card Member offer.

*Ends 30 November 2022. Redeemable up to 10 times, in-store or online at participating small business. Offer must be saved to your eligible American Express(r) Card first. Limited to the first 40,000 Cards to save the offer. Exclusions, Terms and Conditions apply.