Honest Kitchen's Karen
Sewell (in black) with her trusty team of baristas.
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Food in the time of CovidThe impact of Covid, with its lockdowns, capacity limits and ever-changing regulations has pushed bars, cafes and restaurants across New Zealand to their limits. And While Whanganui’s economy has proved more resilient than most, many businesses here have been forced to adapt in order to survive. We caught up with two popular local eateries to discuss the challenges of running a hospitality business in the time of Covid.
When Karen Sewell first opened Honest Kitchen in a quaint heritage building at 44 Ridgway Street in late 2018, she could hardly have guessed what was around the corner. While there’s risks for any new business enterprise, the challenges presented by Covid-19 have been unprecedented. Yet Honest Kitchen hasn’t just weathered the storm of Covid, they’ve adapted and in turn grown – and so has the loyal customer base that seeks out their excellent coffee and wholesome food each day. Part of their success is down to the fact that even before Covid, they had a strong focus on providing healthy ready-to-eat meals (which put them in a good position to provide contactless service). Another factor is that Karen and her partner Rob have always believed adaptability is key for any successful business. |
“We’re constantly looking at ways to tweak and adapt – whether in a Covid world or non-Covid world. And while Covid has brought a great deal of uncertainty for businesses, at Honest Kitchen we looked to adapt and grow by creating a new role for business development and marketing to reach more customers online,” said Karen.
“The biggest challenge for us has been the direct impact on the cost of goods, especially meat and dairy. We’ve worked incredibly hard to absorb those costs internally but ultimately for us to survive as a business we have had to increase prices. Fortunately, our local community has been very understanding.”
As well building a strong rapport with locals, Honest Kitchen’s online marketing efforts have also helped them gain customers from outside Whanganui.
“Back in December we had a couple drive up from Wellington specifically to taste our smoked salmon, after learning about us on Instagram. Since then they’ve returned several times. We’re also increasingly getting people driving from Taranaki to Wellington make a point of stopping in Whanganui to visit Honest Kitchen. We’ve also a number of people based in Australia ordering meals online for friends and whanau here in Whanganui.”
“The biggest challenge for us has been the direct impact on the cost of goods, especially meat and dairy. We’ve worked incredibly hard to absorb those costs internally but ultimately for us to survive as a business we have had to increase prices. Fortunately, our local community has been very understanding.”
As well building a strong rapport with locals, Honest Kitchen’s online marketing efforts have also helped them gain customers from outside Whanganui.
“Back in December we had a couple drive up from Wellington specifically to taste our smoked salmon, after learning about us on Instagram. Since then they’ve returned several times. We’re also increasingly getting people driving from Taranaki to Wellington make a point of stopping in Whanganui to visit Honest Kitchen. We’ve also a number of people based in Australia ordering meals online for friends and whanau here in Whanganui.”
Jason Simpson and Cathy-Lee Amer of Pita Pit Whanganui
Up the road on Victoria Avenue another business that has weathered the Covid storm impressively is Pita Pit Whanganui, operated by Cathy-Lee Amer and Jason Simpson.
Cathy-Lee says Covid has been a real challenge, “especially since we only brought Pita Pit in November 2019 – so we were very new to the business world when we went into our first look down.”
Despite the challenging times, Pita Pit have had great local support and were also in a strong position to provide contactless takeaway service – as well as deliveries through local company Food Runners. Consequently, they went on to be recognised as New Zealand’s top performing franchise for 2021.
Jason says it was great to receive recognition for their team’s hard work and the growth their business has enjoyed. But like many businesses in our city, they’re now starting to feel the pinch with arrival of omicron.
“Since the first cases were announced here in Whanganui, we’ve seen a steep drop-off of people going out and about – which is obviously having a significant impact on hospitality businesses.
“Fortunately, we’ve been lucky enough to be an approved supplier for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch programme, providing over 100,000 lunches to local children. This has become a core part of our business and has helped us immensely during this very trying time.”
Cathy-Lee feels a lot of empathy for other hospitality businesses around town, especially those who haven’t enjoyed the same relative advantages.
“I think it’s important that our community understands how challenging this situation is for businesses. Government support can only go so far. So I’d urge people, if they can, to get out and support their local cafes and restaurants. They’re taking all the measures they can to ensure your health and safety and they need your support more than ever.”
Cathy-Lee says Covid has been a real challenge, “especially since we only brought Pita Pit in November 2019 – so we were very new to the business world when we went into our first look down.”
Despite the challenging times, Pita Pit have had great local support and were also in a strong position to provide contactless takeaway service – as well as deliveries through local company Food Runners. Consequently, they went on to be recognised as New Zealand’s top performing franchise for 2021.
Jason says it was great to receive recognition for their team’s hard work and the growth their business has enjoyed. But like many businesses in our city, they’re now starting to feel the pinch with arrival of omicron.
“Since the first cases were announced here in Whanganui, we’ve seen a steep drop-off of people going out and about – which is obviously having a significant impact on hospitality businesses.
“Fortunately, we’ve been lucky enough to be an approved supplier for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch programme, providing over 100,000 lunches to local children. This has become a core part of our business and has helped us immensely during this very trying time.”
Cathy-Lee feels a lot of empathy for other hospitality businesses around town, especially those who haven’t enjoyed the same relative advantages.
“I think it’s important that our community understands how challenging this situation is for businesses. Government support can only go so far. So I’d urge people, if they can, to get out and support their local cafes and restaurants. They’re taking all the measures they can to ensure your health and safety and they need your support more than ever.”
