Is he the city’s oldest barista?
When I started talking to Wellington’s baristas for The Post’s ‘Love Your Barista’ series, I noticed a possible trend among the capital’s coffee makers: some had an eccentric hairstyle, some had their arms crowded with tattoos, or some wore an outlandish fashion accessory.
That’s why it took me by surprise when I walked into Arlo Eatery on Willis St and met Keiran Conaglen. He breaks my ‘’Wellington barista’’ mould: there’s no standout hairstyle or “out there” accessories and there’s not a tattoo in sight.
The silver-haired barista is self-claiming to be Wellington’s oldest barista.
The cafe might look small and snug on the outside, but walk past the counter and there’s a roomy area with ample space, and outdoor seats and tables at the back for those who want a spot of fresh air.
Arlo Eatery is not Congalen’s first rodeo in the Wellington coffee scene. Congalen and his wife Jude owned the former Rahzoo Cafe on Waring Taylor St for over a decade before he sold it and moved to New Plymouth to start another cafe.
The couple decided to relocate back to the capital after a five-year stint in Taranaki, opening Arlo Eatery in February 2023, the name being something the couple and their three sons all liked.
“We sort of miss Wellington,” he says. “New Plymouth was an okay place to live but we felt it was time to move back to Wellington.”
Conaglen has been in the hospitality industry for 30 years. His first venture was a cafe bar in New Plymouth before heading to Wellington to run a cafe in Kilbirnie and then Rahzoo Cafe.
A lot has change since the Congalens last opened up in Wellington. There’s more people working from home, parking spaces are being removed and public service layoffs means many cafe owners are worried about a downturn, says Conaglen.
In October 2013, when the Rahzoo Cafe was put up for sale, its advertisement in The Dominion Post described it as “renowned for its salads” and that lunchtimes were “absolutely crazy”.
They are seeing some familiar faces at Arlo Eatery. Once some of the Rahzoo Cafe’s regulars heard the Congalens had opened a new cafe they started dropping by for a familiar bit and a coffee. Arlo Eatery and continued dropping by for a familiar bite and coffee.
“We recognized faces. They came in and they recognised us,” Conaglen said.
Also coming from the previous Rahzoo era are some of the salads that landed it on the map, but Congalen says the menu is ever-evolving.
– Arlo Eatery is open 7am to 4pm weekdays and 7.30am to 3pm on Saturday. Regular coffees are $5, $6 for large. Plant-based milks cost $1 extra.