Whanganui cafe and caterer 2PieNgatai expands operations into central city

Emma Ngatai (left), with brother Hayden Ngatai and daughter Louise Ngatai, has started renovations at her new cafe space on Guyton St. Photo / Mike Tweed

Whanganui’s Emma Ngatai is setting up her second cafe, building on a dream she has had since the age of 5.

The owner of 2PieNgatai at Whanganui Airport will expand operations into the former Breakers restaurant and Grand Hotel Cafe and Eatery space on Guyton St, which has been empty for several years.

Ngatai has operated the cafe at the airport since March and said business was going well.

“We do a lot of catering. We’re making that kitchen work.

“The pies we have are not what you get in town. People won’t travel for a bacon and egg, but they will for a kumara and brisket.”

The owner of the Grand Hotel building, Sunil Kumar, approached her at the airport about taking over the Guyton St space, Ngatai said.

“I said ‘absolutely’.

“It will be full-on cafe style, with functions, catering, all that kind of stuff.

“We’ll also make use of the pool table here and have a little game area, plus a kids’ play area and gift shop.”

The new cafe will share a kitchen with the Grand.

Hotel operations have been run by Gaurav Patel since April.

“To start with, we’ll carry on what we’ve been doing at the airport – cabinet food and coffee – to bring in the people to see what they want,” Ngatai said.

“Then, we’ll bring out the dream I’ve wanted from the get-go – have a space like this and, hopefully one day, bring in the youth and teach them in the kitchen.”

She said things had moved fast over the past 12 months; this time last year, she was working at 141 Bakery on Victoria Ave.

“I actually bought a food truck and that’s where things were going to start – make enough money to buy a cafe and progress from there.

“Because of everything that’s happened, [the truck] is still in renovation.”

The new cafe will fill the former Breakers and Grand Cafe and Eatery space on Guyton St. Photo / Mike Tweed

Ngatai said she had wanted to run a cafe since she was 5 – “it was always going to be called 2PieNgatai” – and worked for 18 years in the hospitality sector.

“Currently, I’m working at the airport, then I come here and get as much stuff organised as I can, then go back to the airport.”

The secret to her pies was doing research, she said.

“Some places just chuck mince in a pot with gravy, then add cheese.

“If you look into meats, which herbs go with it and what’s the best way to cook it, you can’t go wrong.”

Slow cooking the meat meant it remained moist and there was “meat in every bite”.

Ngatai said the cafe idea was based on her father and, as she grew up, she saw food bringing people together and putting smiles on their faces.

“I run a church community meal on Mondays and that really means a lot to me.

“It’s my way of giving back, because I used to be in a tight place, a dark place and the community helped me by providing food and stuff like that.”

She said she hoped to have the Guyton St cafe operating by November, from 6am to 4pm, and the airport cafe would continue.

“I want to be someone working alongside my workers, not a boss who sits at the table and does all the paperwork.

“My daughter is now the same age [13] as me when I started working, so she’ll jump on in eventually.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.