Immense Flava fills the food void at Shotz Bar in Whanganui with pop-up eatery

Atiria Menehira-Mcleod and Douglas Goff slice through some prep work before hungry customers drop in. Photo/ Stuart Munro

If you enjoy dining out, there is a new option in town and it is immense.

Immense Flava started as a catering business a year ago, but in 2018 they have branched out with a pop-up eatery at Shotz Bar.

There are four sisters in the team, Atiria Menehira-Mcleod, Joan-Waetford Menehira, Ripeka Menehira and Trish Becker joined by their mate Douglas Goff.

Menehira-Mcleod said the pop-up eatery concept suits them for now.

"We wanted to do something different, it's cheaper this way and the feedback for our food has been great.

"A lot of people have been coming in, probably because of our Facebook page and we usually get about 20-25 people in for lunch."

Their service currently runs from noon-2pm and includes Kiwi classics such as steak sandwich, burgers, fish and chips, and desserts.

Menehira-Mcleod said it was hard work keeping up with who could and could not work on a pop-up day.

"We're all still working outside of Immense, I'm at the airport, my sister Trish is a teacher and Douglas works in the shearing sheds.

"Hopefully when we expand, we can all leave our jobs and do this full-time."

Menehira-Mcleod said Shotz Bar was a good location for their eatery because it was one of few drinking establishments in Whanganui that did not provide cooked meals.

The Immense Flava team plan to continue there until they can find somewhere more permanent to set up, hopefully by next summer.

When they started, they planned to run the pop-up eatery for four weeks, but it has gone so well they have created a kids menu and might continue with a dinner service.

"We're thinking of doing a roast dinner menu. It will be easier for us in this small kitchen if everything's kind of buffet style and there aren't many buffets in Whanganui.

"Everyone likes all you can eat."