Young Māori entrepreneur Caitlyn Lewin becomes Pizza Hut franchisee at 22

Caitlyn Lewin (Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and Rangitāne o Wairau) started working at Pizza Hut at the age of 15 and seven years on is now a franchisee. Photo / Supplied

• Caitlyn Lewin, 22, became a Pizza Hut franchisee, integrating te ao Māori into her business.
• Lewin, the first Māori Pizza Hut owner, aims to inspire other stores with te reo Māori signage.
• Her journey highlights hard work and community support, encouraging others to pursue their business dreams.

By Layla Bailey-McDowell, RNZ

A young wahine Māori hopes to integrate te ao Māori into her business one slice at a time after becoming a Pizza Hut franchisee at 22 years old.

Caitlyn Lewin (Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and Rangitāne o Wairau) started working at Pizza Hut at the age of 15 with no CV, just a handwritten note.

“It was the first ever job I gave my CV in to. I didn’t even have a CV at the time. I just wrote some random stuff on a paper at the library and just took it in. Got an interview, got the job, and literally started washing dishes three days a week.”

Now, at 22 years old, she owns her store in Tawa, Wellington.

Lewin climbed the ladder and by 17 she was a duty manager, juggling high school, working 40 hours a week, and representing New Zealand in softball.

“It was pretty full on. But I guess I like using up all my time, so it didn’t really faze me too much.”

At 19, Lewin became a store manager.

“I got a call from my boss one day like, ‘Can you start in Newtown next week? The manager’s just quit.’ I said, ‘You got it, boss, I’m in there.’”

When she expressed concerns to an area manager about her career plateauing, they connected her with a potential business partner, Frank Huang.

“We just collaborated, and we’re now business partners together.

“I just jumped on it and I’ve just been jumping on it ever since.”

Caitlyn Lewin (far right) with the team at Tawa Pizza Hut in Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Now a franchisee, Lewin said the process of owning a business was daunting but rewarding.

“It’s kind of that story where you just work up the ladder.

“I didn’t really have any expectations; I had no idea what I was doing. Literally, just fake it till you make it. But lucky for me, I created good relationships with people in the Pizza Hut space.”

Lewin said she believed she was the first Māori owner of a Pizza Hut.

“It’s pretty cool, like I’ll put that on my CV for sure.”

Blending te ao Māori into her mahi

Owning a Pizza Hut has given Lewin a platform to celebrate her Māori whakapapa (heritage).

“I’m currently in the process of making Māori signage for everything.”

Lewin hoped her initiative inspired other Pizza Hut stores across Aotearoa to follow suit.

“Te reo Māori signage is something we can do, and hopefully it rubs off on to the other stores. That would be pretty cool.”

Having ticked “opening a business” off her bucket list, Lewin said she was on to the next thing: learning her native tongue and incorporating it into her mahi.

Caitlyn Lewin (right) alongside her best mate Bailey Robertson who left her job to help open the Tawa Pizza Hut, fulfilling a promise made years earlier over drinks. Photo / Supplied

“I’ve enrolled in a te reo Māori course that starts in March, because that’s another thing I really want to do.”

Lewin was inspired by a cafe in Wellington that offered discounts for customers ordering in te reo.

“I thought, ‘That’s cool. We’re gonna do that.’ So, if you’re listening out there, if you order in Māori, you get the discount.”

A team effort

Lewin’s success, she said, was a testament to the aroha and support of those around her.

Her best friend Bailey Robertson left her job to help Lewin open the Tawa store, fulfilling a promise made years earlier over drinks.

“A few years ago, me and Bailey were having a few drinks, as you do, yarning. And then I whipped out, ‘One day, if I open my Pizza Hut, you have to come work for me.’ And she was just like, ‘Yep, sweet.’ Then we shook on it.

“Fast forward to late last year, I messaged her out of the blue and I was like, ‘You work for me now.’ Her reply was, ‘When and where?’ That’s a real one.”

After six weeks of renovations, Lewin, Bailey and a team of supporters helped transform the store.

It had its grand opening on December 20, 2024, and she said Tawa did not disappoint, with up to 110 customers showing up in the first three hours.

“I haven’t done this alone,” Lewin said.

“It’s taken a village to get here, and I’m so grateful for everyone who’s backed me.”

‘Just do it’

As Lewin continues to integrate te ao Māori into her business, her message for rangatahi, or anyone thinking about taking the steps to open up their own business, is to “just do it”.

“There’s so much fear and judgment in the world, but you’ve got to block that out and go for what you want.

“And don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re struggling. That was something I wasn’t great at growing up, but it’s so important.”