Some of the Volunteers at Everybody Eats in Onehunga. Photo / Facebook
Some of the Volunteers at Everybody Eats in Onehunga. Photo / Facebook
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
An Auckland restaurant is working toward reducing food waste and encouraging customers to pay what they can.
Everybody Eats in Onehunga has a kaupapa solely focused on providing nutritious three-course meals that are affordable.
Manager Amanda Butland says the restaurant is doing its part in reducing wasted kai.
"Everybody Eats is a simple concept that was based on food waste, food poverty and social isolation and all those things we're trying to combat in an equal way, and chipping away at the iceberg."
The majority of staff at Everybody Eats are volunteers, Butland says, with many coming in for a number of reasons.
"Volunteers will come from their own motivation, they might be living alone and might need some company. They might want something fun to do, they might want to give back, or they might just want to be a part of something."
Reducing food waste and koha payments is working well. Photo / Whakaata Māori
The slogan that drives this restaurant is "feeding bellies not bins", which is at the core of their kaupapa.
"Rather than throwing food away, let's feed people. There's so much food that goes to waste. About a third of the world's food produce is going into landfill so we'd rather put it into bellies."
A variety of people dine at the Onehunga branch, from families to people looking to socialise. Butland says the idea of paying what they can is a big help, especially in these times.
"Diners coming through come for a lot of different reasons as well. The call is pay as you feel - it's whatever people can afford. That differs from person to person. It's very much across the board. I feel most people are struggling a lot more than they used to with the prices of food as they are now. It's crazy, trying to feed a family and put nutritious food on the table."
Family is an essential part of the restaurant, says Butland, and being able to provide a sustainable three-course meal is what keeps them coming back.
"We get a lot of families coming in, and I think they go home really happy giving their family a nice healthy meal."
One family that came in says, "You get to pay as you feel, and as you feel is good because some people can't afford that stuff.
"Try going to McDonald's or KFC, you don't have that kind of putea. At least here you give what you can afford. They don't ask you to go outside of your comfort zone because that's what tautoko is all about and awhi."
Everybody Eats has two restaurants, with another one in Wellington. Butland says the organisers are looking to expand to another Auckland suburb.
"We have got plans for a big expansion to open a new restaurant at the beginning of next year, it and is going to be based in Glen Innes. We are currently fitting out the space, so we've got a lot of work to do before we get it off the ground."
The Onehunga restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday from 6pm to 8pm.
