Eateries expand post Covid
In a post-lockdown climate that has left many businesses struggling, two Hamilton eateries are making a brave move to expand their businesses and take on more staff.
By next month the city’s infamous eatery Chilli House, and the current hole-in-the wall Burger Bros, will both have moved into larger premises on the city’s main drag of Victoria St, catering for double the diners.
It comes at a time when Hamilton City Council is projecting 13.5 per cent unemployment rate with 6.9 per cent of people in the Waikato on the dole in May. That figure is expected to rise once the Government’s wage subsidy ends.
But in the central city, new business leases were going well with a solid amount of inquiry from businesses looking to set-up, expand and relocate in the CBD, Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams said.
‘‘There has been a good number of businesses that have had staff relocate back in to their offices since the start of Level 1 and this has continued this week as we see more and more people returning.’’
In the Chilli House’s new home, in the former Agenda restaurant, the once white walls are now adorned in spray-painted murals of traditional Sichuan opera faces.
Red lanterns fall from the ceiling to within arms length of the 30 tables inside. The new premises offers double the capacity as the eatery’s current establishment across the road, with another three or four tables outside.
Owners Charles Li and Caryn
He started the Chilli House dream seven years ago as a stall selling noodles, dumplings and Chinese burgers at the night noodle markets beneath the central city’s Kmart building.
Li, 39, had come to New Zealand from his home in a province near Beijing in 2002 to study e-commerce at Waikato University. He, 38, emigrated in 2009. The couple now have two sons, Harris, now 6, and Aris, 2.
Both were working in hospitality in 2013 but after having their first child, the pair wanted to earn more income and spend time with family.
They spent every Friday and Saturday night for three years hauling around cookers and ingredients to markets in Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland.
‘‘We travelled lots, my husband looked after the kids and it was just me going to Auckland and Tauranga as well,’’ He said.
‘‘The night markets were very hard, and we wanted to find a place that was more stable.’’
In 2016 the couple opened a permanent restaurant on Victoria St. He took the reins in the kitchen, designing the menu and cooking up dishes.
Starting out it was mostly Chinese customers, but the couple made changes to the traditional Sichuan dishes by allowing customers to pick their designated spice level, which saw a surge in Kiwi patronage.
‘‘I love cooking, and when I came to New Zealand I knew local people loved dumplings, so we started making dumplings.’’
Manager Mickie Gao, 24, came onboard three years ago. She said the move to a larger premises was in response to growing demand. The current kitchen is too small for the four chefs who work the busy weekend shift.
On a busy Friday night the eatery often turns away potential diners as they don’t have enough tables to cater for walk-ins, Gao said. One man drove from Cambridge hoping for a four-person table at 7pm only to be disappointed.
‘‘We realised we need a bigger place and we’ve been looking for a long time.’’
In February they opened an eatery in Cambridge but then Covid-19 hit and everything shut down.
Although the couple suffered financially during lockdown, they were feeling positive about the expansion set to open in July. New dishes including sweet and sour pork will be added to the menu and the eatery will offer a bar along with BYO.
The pair also plan to take on more staff including another chef.