Two of New Zealand's leading hospitality figures are expanding their businesses, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Good Group's CEO Russell Gray is in the middle of expanding Botswana Butchery and White + Wongs into Australia, and A-List chef Nic Watt is opening his second Inca Restaurant in Ponsonby in March.
Watt, who also runs Masu at The SkyCity Grand and Akarana Eatery in Okahu Bay, is super excited and yet very nervous to open the new Inca at Ponsonby Central.
Nic Watt is opening his second Inca Restaurant in Ponsonby in March.
"This has been in the pipeline for about 16 months now. Hospo has been hit very hard but we can survive as a business in the red light system and importantly give jobs, daily satisfaction and joy to our loyal hard team of hospo professionals and offer our own hospo style to our loyal customers," Watt tells Spy.
"A very good friend once told me, anybody can make a good wine in a good vintage, but it takes guts, patience and skill to make a great wine during a poor vintage. I think we are about to take a great restaurant (wine) in a very poor vintage… figuratively speaking."
Good Group, who have hospitality venues throughout New Zealand, opened up the Sydney Botswana in Martin Place in the CBD in December.
Russell, who moved to Melbourne to plan the group's expansion at the end of 2019, says he has used a very careful risk management plan.
"The global pandemic has slowed us down and created much angst at times and frustration, but you simply need to stay focused and push through in a measured and risk-managed way," says Gray.
"Our Group has been through floods, fires, earthquakes, a GFC and we can now add a pandemic to the list. We are stronger for having to meet all of these challenges and battle-hardened for whatever further challenges lie ahead."
Good Group's CEO Russell Gray is expanding Botswana Butchery and White + Wongs into Australia.
Gray says they have developed a great team in Australia and a few key New Zealand staff have taken the opportunity to transfer across the Ditch. Gray is very proud to be taking the best of Kiwi food and beverage to the Aussies.
Botswana and White + Wongs are in Auckland and Queenstown, and Gray says over the past decade or so they have looked after hundreds of thousands of Aussies in their restaurants here and have been asked when they are going to open them in Australia.
Next up is White + Wongs, which will also open in Martin Place, Sydney later this month. Melbourne follows with Botswana Butchery in Flinders Lane in April and White + Wongs at Chadstone's new development in November. More locations are also on the horizon.
Gray says the group's New Zealand venues continue to perform as well as can be expected given the constraints everyone faced from Government restrictions and lockdowns over the past couple of years.
"I am experiencing first hand in Australia, what it is like to live with Covid and I can see the Omicron wave peaking and we are coming down the other side. Many green shoots are appearing and I am extremely optimistic about the future," he says.
"Sure, there will be some bumps in the road, so keep that seatbelt firmly fastened, but foot also firmly on the pedal and Go for it! "One last thing… Let's get these borders open!"
