‘No finish line in sight’ for hospo stalwart
Barbara Olsen-Henderson never thought she’d own her own cafe, let alone be in the business for 25 years.
‘‘I feel quite proud of myself that I’ve hung in this long with a job,’’ she laughed.
‘‘I never thought I’d end up owning a restaurant at all.’’
But she’s now one of New Plymouth’s most successful cafe owners after first opening Yellow Cafe in New Plymouth’s Centre City in 1997. After that OlsenHenderson opened the Bach on Breakwater and now Lemonwood Eatery in Oakura.
Olsen-Henderson was inspired to start the business by Taranaki hospitality moguls Kate and Craig Mcfarlane.
‘‘The Mcfarlanes were quite instrumental in me deciding to take this whole career up.’’
They had just opened Mcfarlanes in Inglewood and needed a chef. Olsen-Henderson decided to apply, but after realising it was evening work opted to not take the job.
Instead, they asked if she was interested in managing a restaurant they had in Feilding.
‘‘And I drove away thinking if I can do that for them, I can do it for myself,’’ she said.
Olsen-Henderson eats a plantbased diet, and it became her goal to open a vegan cafe, so when the doors of Lemonwood Eatery opened in 2019 she was thrilled.
And despite people often turning their nose up at the idea of veganism, she was confident the cafe would take off – and it has, and can even claim it offer national award-winning meatless meat pies.
‘‘If I thought it was going to be a struggle I wouldn’t have done it,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve worked a variety of jobs over my lifetime, and I can honestly say being a restaurateur is the hardest and yet most exciting job I’ve ever done.
‘‘I do like just doing what I want to do. I’ve never been good at being told what to do.’’
Even in the tough times, she’s kept a smile on her face.
In Covid-19 alert level 3 she went viral after posting a video online on her take on socially distanced table service.
She’d watched the industry evolve with one of the major changes being people now view the role of restaurateur as a legitimate career choice.
‘‘It’s not just a stepping stone to a ‘real job’,’’ she said.
To celebrate her quarter of a century in the food business, Olsen-Henderson will be holding a dinner party with past and present staff, as well as people who have supported her throughout her journey.
‘‘I’ve been blessed with being able to retain some truly outstanding staff members.
‘‘But not the ones that I sacked, obviously,’’ she laughed.
Olsen-Henderson hoped she had another 25 years in the coffee cup to keep grinding in the industry.
‘‘I’m still doing it after 25 years, and with no finish line in sight.’’