New restaurant opens in Tuatapere
A new restaurant, cafe and bar has opened in Tuatapere.
Highway 99 Cafe, Bar & Bottle Store is now open for business after months of planning, building and getting the new venture up and running.
Manager Karl Tamou said the establishment was the brain child of his partner, Jaimee Dowling’s father Murray Dowling.
‘‘The idea to build a new business venture in Tuatapere has been a plan of Murray’s for a number of years – he just needed our input to help drive and complete the project. Murray also wanted to help us into a business and provide security for his grandchildren.’’
The new business is employing five local people including a chef and with the help of Tuatapere sausage guru Leo Henderson, a new sausage has also been created for the business.
‘‘We buy animals on the hoof, have them professionally slaughtered, bone them out on the premises, before making our sausages. That way we make sure we are getting the best of meats to make a quality product,’’ Tamou said.
Already the sausages are proving a hit with the Tuatapere residents, with batches of about 120kg of sausages having to be made most weeks.
‘‘It’s early days for the sausage production but we will increase the quantities as demand warrants it. Another feature of our new building is that customers can watch the making of the sausages through a viewing window.’’
Henderson said the building was perfect.
‘‘Tuatapere really has something to be proud of and the sausages are second to none in the country – Karl is a quick learner and he has come along nicely with his sausage making,’’ Henderson said.
The new building has been designed to cater for larger functions with the addition of bifolding doors allowing floor space to be opened for special occasions such as weddings and birthday parties.
The business was open 9am until 9pm seven days a week but the opening hours could be adjusted as the need arose, Tamou said.
An official opening would be held on August 27.