A Dainty nod to a hot spot of yesteryear
An old milkshake machine in a new cafe might seem out of place, but the story behind it will have some taking a walk down memory lane.
Perched on the counter at the recently opened Dainty cafe, the 1960s Hamilton Beach milkshake maker’s former life was at the Dainty Inn, a popular High St milk bar and cafe between the 1940s and 1990s.
Dainty owner Nick Sepie is the grandson of James Curnow, who purchased Dainty Inn in the early 1960s, running the cafe for nearly 30 years until its closure.
Curnow lived to see his cafe’s building destroyed in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, and died in November 2014.
“My granddad ... went into the Dainty Inn with no hospitality experience, then got out of the Dainty Inn and opened a lavender farm with zero horticulture experience,” Sepie said.
Sepie is following in his grandad’s footsteps, but he has spent plenty of time soaking in the industry due to his parents also running cafes, including Perrys Cafe on Madras St.
“I basically grew up in cafes.”
He left New Zealand for a stint in the UK, furthering his hospitality career training staff at a coffee company, and helping to open more than 20 cafes.
Back in Christchurch, he went on to work for Allpress Espresso and Underground Coffee Roasters.
Then the “cool, old building” under The Muse Christchurch Art Hotel came up, he said.
“It had always been on the cards to do something.”
The light, open space has been renovated with a nod to Curnow’s cafe, which stood just metres from Dainty.
Sepie said the menu board was a contemporary version of what was used at the Dainty Inn, and the square, white, ceramic counter tiles harked back to the mid-1900s style.
And while milkshakes are still available, customers won’t find the spaghetti on toast or ice cream sundaes enjoyed by punters back in the day.
The brunch menu includes the classic eggs bene, smashed avocado, bircher muesli and a mushroom dish, and the cabinet stocks scones, sandwiches and Grizzly Baked Goods pastries – and “bangin’” bagels, he said.
“We’re doing simplicity well.” Sepie’s knowledge of doing good coffee shines through with “never-ending rotations of ... really nice ... filter coffees” done three ways, including espresso black, white and filter, “so you can see how the different methods change the flavour of that coffee”.
But despite the differences being greater than the similarities to Dainty Inn, he hopes to bring “hospitality of the past” to his 21st-century eatery. “You’re greeted with a smile, you’re recognised, we remember your order ... because we love people. It’s just a chance to connect.”
Dainty is open at 159 Manchester St, Christchurch, seven days a week.