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As increasing costs begin to bite, more New Zealanders are favouring a night at home in front of the fire over meals out.
Restaurants report a significant drop in business as stubbornly high interest rates and spiralling prices for food and petrol hit diners' wallets.
Some say business has fallen up to 50 per cent as cold winter weather exacerbates the beginnings of an economic downturn.
Susan Cho, owner of Annabelle's in Auckland, said business was usually quieter during the winter but the increasing cost of living was making the situation worse this year.
"Everybody is saying the same thing - it's getting expensive and the economy is not good," she said. "Winter is always difficult but this year it's even worse."
Jimmy Sakoufakis, manager of the Green Parrot Cafe in Wellington, said restaurant owners were taking a double hit from more budget-conscious diners and rising costs.
"There's only so long you can pass those costs on before it gets a little embarrassing and let's face it, half a block of cheese doesn't go very far," he said.
Mr Sakoufakis said many of his friends in the restaurant business were struggling but there were limited options.
"You either close your doors and do something else or take it on the chin and hope it gets better next year," he said. "But I can't see much good news for the next six months or so."
Michael Dearth, owner of The Grove in central Auckland, said despite a succession of five-star reviews, business was certainly slowing - but it wasn't all bad news.
"We might have 40 people in for dinner instead of 70, but those people tend to be spending more per head," he said. "People are still having birthdays and anniversaries and taking clients out.
"It becomes even more important to give them great service and great value for money so they'll come back."
The Hospitality Association of New Zealand described business around the country as "patchy".
"We have members from Invercargill to Northland and there's no real pattern to it," said chief executive Bruce Robertson. "Some are saying things have never been better and others are saying things are getting tough."
Mr Robertson said there were exceptions to the economic doom and gloom, with the dairy industry boom bringing good times for Southland, and ski resorts benefiting from steady dumps of snow.
"Employment in New Zealand has never been higher, and although I guess people are taking a hit with the price of cheese and petrol, they've still got a dollar in their pocket."
And while restaurants are feeling the pinch, the tourism industry is as buoyant as ever.
Brent Thomas, sales director for the House of Travel Group, said business in each of the past three months was tracking as much as 31 per cent higher than the same period last year as people continued to save for a well-earned trip away. Four weeks' annual leave meant people had more time to take holidays.
