Cafes and bars in the trendy Auckland suburb of Kingsland are preparing to ramp up services for spectators at this year's Rugby World Cup.
Extended hours, tailored "fast" menus for match-goers with limited time to eat before games, and licences to sell liquor are among the ideas being entertained by Kingsland businesses during the six-week tournament.
Maria Wynyard of Bond St Bar has already hatched a plan in anticipation of extra business.
The canny businesswoman has been ordering in dozens of pieces of extra cutlery and crockery over the past year to cater for the 85,000-plus guests expected to descend on New Zealand during the tournament beginning in September.
"It's the only way to do it. It's tough business-wise out there. We can't get to a month before and suddenly spent thousands of dollars on glassware and crockery because we just don't have it [the money] available."
The bar is five minutes' walk from Eden Park and expects to have doubled its existing stock of between 120 and 180 beer glasses and 80 to 100 wine glasses and ordered in four or five dozen more sets of cutlery.
Wynyard said she would also be calling on staff to work extra shifts.
"We have been here for five years and so we have a pretty good idea of what happens in big All Black games. Pretty much anyone who has worked for us in that time and who has been good we will be calling on," she said.
The bar expects to do between three and four weeks of takings in one night if the All Blacks progress through to the semifinals, Wynyard said.
Kingsland Business Society spokeswoman Christine Foley said businesses were working hard to meet the requirements of match-goers.
Cafes that had relied on day trade were looking to extend their hours and offerings, while others would be adapting their meals to suit the requirements of people in the area for games, she said.
Leben Norrie of Kingsland hire business Party Mad said the business was stocking up on extra supplies of table covers, napkins, disposable plates and rugby themed party ware, but he warned businesses to be in quick to avoid disappointment.
The turnaround time for orders from the United States was about three months, he said.
"We haven't had any really big nibbles yet, but when we do it's really going to be first in, first served with the disposable items," he said.
Mark Treviranus of Atomic Coffee Roasters said he planned to adapt the menu and extend the 3pm closing time to cater for the punters.
The business has lodged an application for a liquor licence and has also taken over the lease of a nearby shop.
Kingslander bar owner and business society chairman Steve Gillett has refurbishment of his New North Road premises under way.
He said the safe option was not to spend but he wanted a better experience for customers.
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