ETHAN ROGACION (HE/HIM)
OPINION: Over the last few years, restaurants across Wellington have been shutting up shop—and the death knells seem unending. Concord, another high profile restaurant, recently announced its closure, taking to social media at the start of the month to tell their followers why.
“The current appetite for dining out is understandably low and the city’s hospitality scene is hurting a great deal,” the statement read. “Wellingtonians love their hospitality scene and it must be sad for them not to be able to enjoy it as they have done so in the past … priorities change under [economic] duress and we empathise.”
A “Challenging Time for Hospitality”
From Concord to Monique Fiso’s Hiakai, the hospitality market is strained, and it's not hard to see why. As the cost of living skyrockets and people across the city struggle to put groceries on the table, the cost of eating out is too high for many Wellingtonians.
Steve Armitage, Chief Executive of Hospitality NZ, echoed this sentiment, telling Salient that “It's certainly a challenging time for hospitality … with increased costs and limited household disposable income having a direct impact on operators.”
Lean Into Diversity
The solution to the demise of restaurants in the city is unclear—though change in the hospitality industry is rarely ever a bad thing. As someone whose only hospitality experience is dining out, I do have an idea.
With the demise of long-running institutions like Concord, a swathe of challengers have entered the scene, pushing the case for a greater diversity in Pōneke’s food scene. Places like Babaili Malatang, Jinweide Beef Noodle, and Kisa have added greatly to the city’s culinary landscape. While well-established places shutting are always a loss to the industry, it also creates room for people to be more experimental: to try something new.
Up in Auckland one of the most influential hospitality groups is David Lee’s Namu, best known for fusion food that combines traditional Korean flavours with Kiwi staples. Last year, in his first foray into Pōneke, Lee opened Crack Chicken, entering a market lacking players in the fusion food market.
Leaning into playing with flavour creatively can only be a good thing. Where there’s creativity afoot, good shit is sure to follow, right? Though, maybe this year’s WOAP offerings are a warning against excess…
So… Where to From Here?
Armitage told Salient that, “While conditions are tough right now, [Hospitality NZ are] confident that hospitality can come out the other side of this downturn thriving.”
“Wellington also has a number of major events to look forward to, including All Blacks tests, Beervana and the World of Wearable Arts which will provide a much-needed boost to many operators ahead of the summer visitor season.”
However, there is undeniably rough sailing ahead. Concord’s advice to people saddened by the decline? “...Visit your favourite bars and restaurants, there are plenty of incredible places in Wellington, some real heroes out there still forging on to help make this city wonderful.”