Restaurants are still divided over charging extra to cover costs, 10 years after a law which made them pay staff more on public holidays.
About 50 per cent of the country's eateries will opt to enforce a surcharge today, the Restaurant Association of New Zealand says.
The other half will either close or make a loss.
The association's chief executive, Marisa Bidois, said even with charging diners a surcharge on public holidays, restaurants still struggle.
"It's not sustainable for businesses to not charge extra on those days," she said.