Editorial: Dining precinct a sure winner

Eat Streat. Photo / Ben Fraser

Love it or hate it, Eat Streat has been a roaring success and patrons are still flocking to the outdoor dining precinct, even in winter.

On Saturday we reported the first of the retractable awnings have been installed over the restaurants.

Eventually there will be 11 over 12 of the restaurants, which will provide cover for outdoor diners. With a bit of luck - and let's face it, the building of Eat Streat hasn't had too much of that - the work to install the awnings should be finished in two weeks.

Eat Streat was meant to be done and dusted well before the end of last year but delays and problems had hampered the $2 million development. It's copped flak for not being what it was trumped up to be and criticised for its delays and workmanship.

But Eat Streat is a massive asset to our visitor industry. Few cities our size can boast such a fantastic setting.

Stroll down Eat Streat on a nice sunny day - even in the chilly winter wind - and it's usually thriving.

On occasions such as Saturday during the finale of the Fire and Ice Festival, Eat Streat comes alive.

Once Eat Streat is finished completely and the city fully gets into the swing of the Raising the Bar campaign to lift its service standards to be the best in the country, there will be no stopping Rotorua.