July 28, 2024 • 31 mins
How is Wellington's economy holding up in the face of job cuts and a recession, and what will the Golden Mile redevelopment mean for both CBD and suburban businesses?
Those were some of the questions for this week's business panel, consisting of Tomboy Bakery owner Kate Bresolin and florist Yvette Edwards.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said, b your inside word on all
things business in the Capitol with Quinovac, better systems, better reporting,
better call, quinobeck, oh eight hundred quinovec.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get down, Let's get down, monn monight.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You've had a million million night business joining us for
our every two weeks? Is it bi weekly? Is such
a word as bye weekly? Fortnightly? Okay, fortnightly our fortnightly business? Batal?
The duce is just yelling at me fortnightly fortnightly. You
know you guys are not. Yes, there is a bye
(00:51):
weekly and works for you joining us, joining us this
morning and for our panel is ev Edwards, good morning,
good morning. She is the owner of Evit Edwards Flores. Now,
if you haven't been there, you're living in a cave,
and you obviously don't love anybody because you haven't gone
and bought flowers. And when you go in there, have
(01:13):
a look at the lights, because apparently I haven't seen them.
Someone told me that the lights are amazing. And Kate Breslin,
now Kate owns Tomboy Bakery, and everybody knows Kate. Don't they.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
I mean some people.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Everybody knows Kate Hello everybody, because she makes amazing cakes
as a great, amazing little cafe. If only they did eggs,
if you did poach the eggs, I'd be there every day.
Oh look, no one wants to do eggs anymore.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, I mean we're just limited on space.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Okay. Well, anyway, if you haven't been to Tomboy, get
along there, or if you have someone you love. The
show should be about love, isn't it, Because you know
this is you know, you're either buying flowers for people
you love or you're buying cakes for people you love.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yes, but we also offer cakes for breakups.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Vibe really our vibe.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Here.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
We are trying to sit down, got two wonderful guests,
and we're going to talk about love.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
We do more some breakout cakes and love cakes. We
do all the cakes. But yes, you're right, love is
the great binder.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah. But why would you buy flowers for someone you
break up with? Would you buy flowers?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I think it's probably more of a Monday morning Sorry.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Flowers. They're the ones that I always think, oh, what did.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You do on the weekend?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
You know what? Whenever I and I'm very guilty of it.
My wife loves flowers, and I give her flowers not enough,
not enough because I'm broke. But I mean whenever you
give flowers, you go to the floris and you put
a little note in there, like I love you or
something nice on the on the flower thing, right, and
they always look at you and go, uh, he's been caught. Yeah,
(02:53):
what did you do? Shouldn't be like that, right, let's
talk bus let's just talk gets serious. I really hate
the catchphrase that everybody seems to be using. Kate, I've
got to say, she didn't never heard of it.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Well, like I said, sort of.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
I feel like I've been living in a cave in
my kitchen. But I understand it.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And the catchphrase for those who are sitting there waiting
for us, survive till twenty five. Isn't that a horrible
way of doing business? Survive till twenty five? When you
start us off on this.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Oh yeah, I mean every day we're surviving, right, So
it's every day. It's not just till next year. We're
pushing every day to keep going. There's constant roadblocks, there's
constant hurdles. It's not like next year. Is going to
be any better than this year or the year before.
(03:46):
It's just we just keep going.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
That's right, Yeah, I think so. I mean surviving, like
you say, is just part of having a business, you know, reinventing,
coming up with new ideas, things that have died, things
that have been reignited.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
It's all part of putting that together. To survive is
just having a bus business.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I think, Yeah, that's used to.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Be like that. I've got to I mean, you guys
are a lot younger than me, but business did not
used to be like that. You would set up a business,
you would put all your effort into it, you'd have
your standards, you'd have everything right, and you'd open the
doors while and if you did it right, you made money.
If you did it wrong, you go broke. Yeah, it's
not like that anymore, some of the real good ones.
(04:30):
And I put myself not putting myself in the real
good ones, but I'm saying, you know, you open up
and your fingers cross and hope like hell and hope
that someone's going to come in your shop.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, I definitely think those days are gone. And like
some of our customers are, you know, business owners who've
had those businesses and they're so successful and you know,
and it's and I can see how to them they
it all came really easily. But it definitely isn't like that.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Things move so much faster. You have to be really
dynamic adaptable, not only because of things like pandemics, but
just the way business is done, what the customers want
changes so fast.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, tell us a bit how business is for you
right now? I mean, compare it over the last five
years and stuff. So how is business right now?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So flowers, I think is you know, it's in its
own little niche market. It always takes a bit of
a hit when people have got a bit less cash
in their pocket, because you know, first comes bread, butter
and all of those sorts of things to buy first,
and if you've got a bit left over, a lot
of people would get some flowers. So we always take
(05:38):
a big hit when people haven't got as much cash
to spend. So it hasn't been an easy year. We've
had to work really hard at looking after our customers
and our community and be really inventive. Like at the
moment we're actually running a pop up inside our store,
a pop up cafe. So Thursday Friday and Saturday. For
(06:00):
the last month, we've been serving cake and coffee inside
our florist, which is obviously not a part of my
business plan that I ever had that I would turn
to hospitality to keep.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You know, how's that working for you?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's been really busy. Like we served last Sunday, we
served nearly three hundred.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
People, three hundred coffees.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, it was the opening our coffee Supreme helped us
do an opening event and one hundred people came at
seven thirty in the morning on a wet, cold, rainy day,
you know. And but these are the kind of things
I think you have to do. Is it's it's like
reinventing within your business, like what you have the capacity
to do whilst kind of keeping everything on brand. You know,
(06:45):
Kate's really good break up cakes, things like that, you know,
something a bit different that sparks the customer and even
your existing customers to come and buy into your business again.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Kate, do you think that we're close to coming right?
I mean, me and you have discussions when I do
buy the odd sandwich. Yeahfa, we have this conversation, you know,
when we get placed to face. Do you think it's
going to come right in the next twelve months.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I mean, I hope it comes right. I do think.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Look, I think everything's cyclical, and I know that we're
in a rough patch, a really rough patch.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
We're looking at each other with tears in our eyes,
and I tell you listeners, so we both look here.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
No, look, it's fine, it's it's I.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Really hope that we will pull through this.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
It's really hard for people though, you know, it is
hard for our consumers to spend at the moment, coffees
have become a luxury item. You know. It's that that's
sort of where you end up in these sort of situations,
you know, with people's finances.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It's yeah, is.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
This a different kind of recession? Because I was grown up.
I brought up under the belief that a recession affects
the bottom twenty percent, the next twenty percent gets a
little bit effected in the top sixty percent are okay
because that top of their game. Now you guys are
both top of your games. Like you know, if you
think of a cake and you want to impress somebody,
(08:13):
you go to you okay, you know, you go to
tomboy and get that cake. You know, if you're looking
for flowers and you wanted that extra but you'd go
to your florist shop event, so your top of your game,
and you're telling me that it's still hard work.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Of course it's hard work.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Yeah, constantly, like if it said, constantly pivoting to try
and bring people in with something new. You know, we
are saturated with you know, for cafes and whatnot in Wellington,
which is a good thing. I think it's good that
we've got such a great offering. But you know, we're
all all working hard to keep our doors open. So
(08:49):
we have to keep offering different things to kind of
keep it, keep the vibe flowing right, you want to
keep the momentum running. And that for me is how
I have you know, I feel.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Like, what have you done? What have you done to
change anything from twelve months ago?
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Twelve months ago?
Speaker 5 (09:09):
I think actually the main part of what I've focused
on is extracting myself from the business before I was
going to have a mental breakdown, and so that's been
a massive.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
That's been massive for me to.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Actually get out of the business and not work every
single day and apply myself more to running the business
from an operational standpoint. So I have sort of been
freeballing it for quite a while, so.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
You become the helicopter pilot looking down on it rather
than being the guy.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
But I want to be involved in the business, but
I need to run it better to keep it going.
I think I got a big fright thinking. I don't
want to lose my business. I don't want it to
go under it.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I'll fight.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Tooth and nail to keep this business afloat. So I
actually need to start running it better. And so that's
where my focus has been in the last twelve months.
And it's worked.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
But yeah, it's cost.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Massive, Yeah massive, I get it.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
You know, like people will come in and they're spending
you know, twelve months ago somebody would come in buy
a sandwich, cake and a coffee, and now it's just
maybe the coffee.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Or a sandwich between two people exactly.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So long as people are still coming in, that's great.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, you know, like, well you're you're on trend. That's
why they're coming in of it. Just quickly, what have
you done to make things different? You've talked about your
coffee thing. You're a florist, now you're a coffee place.
You know, because I said to someone the other day,
it's go for a coffee in my office manager said
go out to the florist shop, buy a coffee there,
you know what I mean. So people are obviously talking
about Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I mean, we've been really lucky. I don't always know what,
you know, what clicks with people. Sometimes as a business owner,
you know you're deliberating what it is that's.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Made this one thing so popular.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
But you know, we have been really lucky that that's
definitely paid the bills, the wages, and kept the lights
on this month one hundred percent. But one of the
biggest things I actually did, similarly to Kate, was you know,
through COVID, I was probably doing seven days a week.
My longest stint was I did sixty eight days in
a row, which is huge when you're in any kind
(11:18):
of customer facing role.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
It's exhausting.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
And it was actually my husband that talked me into
closing on weekends, which sounds so counterintuitive for a retail business,
but it's actually been one of the best things we've
done in the last twelve months because a lot of
our business can operate Monday to Friday, and I think
just having that two days away from the shop face
to like, you know, recharge and come back fresh. And
(11:44):
you know, weekends could have been a bit hit and
mess with sales anyway, depending on the weather, and you
just you know, it's been actually a really good thing
to be able to step away a bit.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
More in the week.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
We have Edwards, So she's the owner of it, Edward's Florist.
Why did you choose your own name for the flora shop?
This makes it harder to read it out, doesn't it?
Okay Breslin, who owns Tomboy Bakery in Mount Victoria. You're
both in the same sort of area, really, aren't you.
Evets and Tory Street next to Joe's Garage. That's been
(12:16):
a florist for years. Have you always owned it?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yep, that's been mine for seven and a half years now.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Oh, well, fantastic. And you don't open on the weekends
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Well, no, not for retail at the moment, but while
we've got a little pop up running of the cafe,
we are.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
But then otherwise no on weekends at the moment.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
There you go. The OCEA was left unchanged in the
latest update of as interest rates continue to buy it
for both consumers and business. Kate, I'm going to start
with you. There are the high interest rates affecting your business,
either from your own debt or your noticeable downturn and business.
Do you know do you think people are people talk
you talk to people in a cafe, are they talking
about interest rates?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
No, it's not sort of the first thing that they'll
talk about. But in terms of noticing it within the business. Fortunately,
from our perspective, we don't have loan through banks, which
is good. But the consumer side of things, with their
interest rates going up, they're obviously tightening their belts, so
their spending habits are changing. It's not technically spoken about,
(13:20):
but you can feel it.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Do you think it's going to make a difference when
supposing they start coming down, do you think it'll.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Make yep, Yeah, absolutely, It's like, yeah, interest rates come down,
people think they've got a little bit of free cash.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
They might go on splurge.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
You get a coffee, a little piece of cake, some
flowers or yeah, start saving then where you know, with
the seasons as well, it'll change and you know Christmas
is coming, you get a bit more excited, you spend
a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Right, sun always brings the best out of everyone. Slutely,
you just feel better.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Don't Yeah, and it springs on like it's on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
So I mean you get up at Mike Costkings times.
I mean you and my cost giving you the only
people in the world that get up with time you
get up? What times do you get up in the morning.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
My alarm will go off at two fifty when I
go to work. The days are go to it.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
That's nuts.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Sometimes my husband will like slapped me and go get up.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
My alarm will just bet that's the middle of the night.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
It is the middle of the night, but it's actually
it's Uh, there's some really cool people who work in
the middle of the night.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
There's some good people. Yeah. But our milkmen and our
you know, food delivery guys. It's like a whole world
operating while we're all asleep.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Nightclubs. Interest rates, we're talking I digressed the interest rates.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, so we obviously, I think selling flowers and plants
and homey bits like we do talk to a lot
of people about home life and their houses and buying
and selling houses and that kind of thing. So I've
had I've definitely had conversations with people talking about, you know,
a bit less money to spend on a few luxuries.
(15:03):
You know, it's incredible to think that, you know, young
couples in their early thirties maybe and sort of paying
an extra five hundred dollars a week on their mortgages.
That's a lot of money to.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
It's a hell of a lot of money for anyone.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, so that's all your fun It's gone, really, isn't it.
You know, like that would be all your little expendable
treats through the week, whether it's an extra dinner out
and a coffee, or more flowers or something nice to wear.
I think, you know, those people are definitely finding it
quite hard. It fascinates me the group of people that
are outside of that affected interest rate hike and where
(15:43):
they've been through.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, I know there's been some very big holidays, definitely
on the cars, like several people have done like three
months in Europe and that kind of thing. But I
think we've got ourselves into like this mindset of not
spending as well. And I think that's one of the
things like as a business owner in Wellington, you know,
and why I love Kate.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
She's always so positive.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She spreads a message about like getting out there and
enjoying what's on off, because there is really cool things
happening in this city, and we often focus on some
of the negative stuff. And I think this is part
of this mindset that we're in where we're like, you know, oh,
I better not spend money or better not go out,
but plenty of people still can, and I sort of
(16:27):
always urge them, you know, go support the things you like,
because they might not be there otherwise.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Do you think that it might have still something to
do with the COVID hangover? Because we were really really
given a fright during COVID. None of us, young or old,
none of us have ever experienced something like where everything
was turned off and suddenly we thought shivers. I didn't
have enough money saved, I didn't have this plan and action.
We none of us thought that was ever going to happen.
So do you think that we might have that hangover
(16:54):
where we think something could go wrong again, so we're
just holding things back.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Maybe yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Group PTSD, Yeah, yeah, I possibly, definitely.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
I think there is a bit of that.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
You know, it was so uncertain for people, and you know,
it did feel like to some extent some of your
controlling your own life was taken away from you, and
you know, we probably that's why I think, you know,
it's important to spread a message of being positive and
encouraging people to you know, get back to life as normal.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
The Council confirmed this month that the Golden Mile project
will be underway by the end of the year, starting
on Cambridge kings Terrace. Meanwhile, we've seen the impact on works,
what it's done to business on Thornton Key. Are you yeah,
I know that you're kind of a supporter of this project,
don't you. Well someone whispered in my ear that you're
(17:46):
not dearly against the Golden Mile idea. So do you
think it's going to have an effect on your business,
which is Dory Street, which is not too far away.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
No, definitely, I mean I definitely feel this whole precinct,
probably from where Kate is, you know, because the works
is around the Embassy down.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
Through to you know, to tur A Naki Street.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
So I'm definitely in that precinct, I think, as you know,
I feel like I wear two hats with this. So yes,
as a business owner, I am concerned that you know,
a lot of road cones and a lot of builders
and digging is going to affect business. But the other
side of it is I live in Mount Vick, so
I live in the city and it needs fixing. Like
(18:30):
it's it's not great. It's definitely not a Golden Mile,
but it.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Is to some people. It is the golden mile to
some you know, some of the retailers, some of the
food places, they think that that's that's where they're maybe
are living for twenty thirty.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Years those.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Exactly, And I think that, you know, I mean, I've
got a couple of younger students that work for me,
and you know, because I have tried to go to
a lot of the council meetings and be involved, and
I've often come back and asked them their opinions because
you know, they use it in a totally different way,
like Courtney plays in a completely different way to how
I do.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
And they don't even like going there.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So you know, it's like we need to find a
mix and some kind of different version of that area anyway,
because it doesn't I don't feel like it's thriving, and
you know, it does need a bit of tidying up.
And you know, I moved into Toy Street because I'd
like a bit of edge. They I didn't want to
be on Sparkly Lampton Key and you know, so I
(19:32):
don't want to kind of gentrify and tidy up too much.
But it is a bit broken, you know, it doesn't
work as a street of entertainment and hospital as it
is at the moment. So I do support some sort
of change, definitely.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Right, Kate your thoughts because you've you know, had along
you even worked at some of those places down there
when you're growing up, So you know Courtney Place pretty well.
You're at the end of Courtney Place really, that's where
your cafe is. Yes, you know your mount Vic, but
you're going to be hugely effected of this whole corner
of the street where you're fifty meters away.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
I mean, yeah, it'll be will be a mess for
a long time, for a lot of people, for a
lot of businesses.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I I don't know, I.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Do I think about you know, I was thinking about
what if what if there are people who can't access
sort of the the opera house, you know, like who
need who need help getting there, who can't walk or
things like that, there's only bus lanes. What about what
about the people who can't access the facilities that are
(20:38):
on Courtney place that they need them. You know, if
it's going to be bus lanes, how is it going
to help people?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
And I've actually asked that exact question because even as
a business in the area, like we often deliver flowers
to them, yeah, you know for opening night, you know,
And my first look was like, how on earth am
I going to carry and earn of flowers down place?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But what are they saying? What was their answer?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
That there will be access, So like as a business
delivering you will be able to get access down that road.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
And that, but you'll probably end up having to pay
what five hundred dollars a year for a perpose I've
done there.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
It's just another way about that. No, I'm i'ming that
that's probably what's.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Going to Are you, either of you making any plans?
I mean, we're supposed to start this year, in the
year both of you, all three of us are going
to be affected hugely by it. Are you making any
plans to what you're going to do?
Speaker 2 (21:33):
It's so hard, I think because there's so off, so
many projects in Wellington since I've lived here that are
going to start and going to happen that I do
to an extent, feel like you have to wait till
it actually starts because you've got like.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
You know, yeah, you're saying you don't even think it.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Will start potentially, like there's plenty of opposition against it.
You know, it's a huge expense, you know, when we've
got other things we need to spend money on. I
still think, you know, as much as the plans have
been in you know, we've already passed several dates that
it was due to st are, So I think it's
hard to kind of say, yeah, this is what I'm
going to do when there's lots of projects that actually
(22:13):
still are not underway that we've talked about for many many.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
But what about all the landlords as well?
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Right, so all those empty spaces they're doing all this
work for what you know, there's low occupancy and a
lot of the retail spaces.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
So presumably they're going to be more expensive once it's
all shiny and new. Do we have enough people and
business owners to fill all of that? You know, these
are questions I've asked many times as well.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Going out, data shows takeaways and caterers are doing okay,
but restaurants are struggling. Are you noticing people are going
out less and spending less but ordering stuff? Now that's
right up your alleyway, that's you to a t. I
want a big cake to the birth of my child,
which we had one of yours, not my child, but
someone can learn them. Yeah, that's your style. So is
(23:02):
that what's happening?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Oh yeah, Look, cake sales have been have been down lately,
but they're slowly picking up. I think again what we
were talking about earlier and people tightening their belts. Obviously
you can make a cake at home and save a
lot of money. But yeah, where now people are spending more,
they're buying their cakes. You notice that springtime surge of
(23:25):
babies from New Year's I do get a lot of
orders in spring. You know that it'll start to pick
up again. And yeah, look, people are still going out.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
People like to go out.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
You know, we're a city where we're saturated.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
We've got a.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Lot to offer.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
But it's how they're spending. So they're spending less.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
You're right, they'll share something, they'll you know, they they
won't go three courses, they'll just have one.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Can I ask you? And I don't want you to
speak on your husband's behalf. But your husband is obviously
a well known hospital person in the city. Some would
say legit comes from a pretty damn good.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Stock, also very handsome.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You didn't have to bring that up. But are they
are they feeling the same thing Cuba Street seems to be.
They seem to they seem to be.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Okay, Yeah, that Nardi has Nadi and his business partners
they have They've really nailed the concept for their businesses
and it's pretty streamlined and.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Works really well. Yeah, they're really successful, So.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's not they're not affected by this so called.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
I mean, I don't think as much like you say
they're in that they're in the area where there's a.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Lot of people, a lot of foot traffic.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
I mean, I've.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Established themselves really well in the industry.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So yes, yes, they have, Yes, done very well. You
can name the restaurants they own.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
He has a Scorpa pizzeria and eleven fifty four past area.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Okay, so I living for fifty.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
One past it and they're both so good.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah, and they are so they are so good. They
are so good. We'll give them. We'll give them that credit.
It coming back to the real world, not the too
successful restaurants that we're hearing about. Lots of successful places
out there. We know there's lots of successful places and
we have to be positive. A lot of the slump
and Warrington's been blamed on the you know, so called
(25:33):
job cuts in Welington. Do you really think that is
affecting us as badly as well or is it just
an excuse.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
I think it's part of that, you know, that mindset
again that you know, like especially, I've noticed that people
tend to spend more money when they're actually happy, even
though you think they might spend money when they need
cheering up. I actually think people are more spendy when
they're in a good mood, when the sun shining. You know,
they're feeling good, just had their hair done, the house
(26:01):
looks great, I'm going to go out for coffee, buy
some flowers. So I think, you know, having that sort
of a slight negative sort of thing happening around that
job scene is definitely having an effect on people going
out and spending money. But you know, a lot of
people that have maybe not jumped into a new job
straight away, have they've been high earners right, they've been
(26:25):
on consultants rates. They've been on good wages, so I
should think they've still got their comfortable. You know, there
will definitely be people that are affected a bit more,
but a lot of that group, you know, they've they've
probably got plenty of money in the bank. I think
it's just they probably might feel a little bit sad.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I would like it would be really nice if a really,
like a small percentage of the people who did lose
their jobs have been sitting at a desk job for years,
going God, I wish, I wish I didn't want to
I wish I could just blow glass and sell my
beautiful glass. Were like, it would be really nice. Out
of all the losses there was a small group of
people who would become small independent business owners, which would
(27:03):
start that surge back in our community.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Right, you get this, Apparently.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
They are and apparently they are. Apparently if you listen
to the business brokers, they are. They're going out and saying, hey,
no longer do I want to be answerable to somebody.
I've just lost my job, some practice just made me redundant.
I'm going to go out and buy a business. So
apparently they are out there.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
I think that's great. I think it's great for the community, and.
Speaker 5 (27:27):
It's it's good for its good and it's good for
the soul. If you're chasing your dream, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I love you of its view though. If you're happy,
you're right, yes, so much. I had a bad day
yesterday and I didn't even get out of the house.
Everything was on top of me. Everything I did, I
didn't do right, you know. And you don't think about
going out and buying go and have a coffee or
doing it. You think of going into your heart. So
I like your view of if we're happy, we're spending Yeah,
(27:53):
just before we go to this way, you're going to
take someone really special. Has been obviously a lot of
talk about people moving their businesses from the CBD, from
the city out to the suburbs. A lot of people
are working from home, which we haven't discussed this particular out.
What do you think, what are you going to? Would
you say that's a good idea. Would you think about
(28:14):
going out to the suburbs instead of being in town.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well, I actually started my business in the suburbs when
I was out in Ireland Bay, and I I think,
I mean, it probably depends. It could be a bit
business specific, But for me, I definitely reached the point
that I couldn't grow it anymore because you were so
contained by your suburb. Really, it was hard to like
(28:37):
break into that next bit of work and that those
corporate jobs and the event work.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And I get that. With a florists, it'll be you're
the local florists and that's it. Yeah, Okate, what about you?
Have you thought about because I mean half your business
or a percentage your business would be mass production a cake,
So you could have a little bakery and a little
cafe in the suburbs and pay half the rent and
probably live life a bit easier.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I mean, yeah, I could.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
I am I not suburban and Mount vert Lip it.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Hell, you're one hundred meters from Courtney Place, I mean,
come on, that's suburban.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Yeah, I'm a suburban cafe. No, I'm pretty happy. I'd
always thought that i'd opened something in Kindala, which is.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Where I was based. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I like the idea of having somewhere close, but actually
where we are, our proximity to the city and the
suburb of Mount Victoria has been great.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's all right, let's get two from two. Let's talk
about where you'd take someone of this person you've got
an English background. So someone's flying over from London. You
two o'clock in the afternoon, they've arrived into Wellington. We've
only got two minutes and been told to hurry up.
You'd fly them into Wellington. What are you going to
do and what are you going to take?
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Well, let's make it twelve o'clock so I can stop
at tom Boy. Oh definitely would. I live on Mount Vick,
so it's a go to the last Exandwich. Plus you
might get a little hug from K two, which always
makes you my day, and then I reckon look for
either a pop up or something new that's opened or
Webb's auction House always have really good rotating exhibitions which
(30:06):
you often feature like quite a few local artists or
even ones you haven't come across before, which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
You're not really showing off Wellington. I mean tom Boy, Yes,
I get that, but you're not actually showing them the
beautiful picturesque Wellington.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
By the time you've walked back down through the harbor
and bought some flowers, driven back.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Up, Come on, give me somebody a little bit more exciting.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Oh, gosh.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
Okay, Well, I'd pack up my friend and we would
drive to Roberto's and Mirrama and get a coffee and
some Dolce, and then we would probably drive back around
the water because it is still beautiful, although there's lots
of road cones.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
So you get in your car. That's the difference.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Yeah, Roberto, Robertoss.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
He's in that little complex area where his.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Pa love that place so good. Yeah yeah, okay, sorry.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Made pasta blah blah blah. Where else would we go?
We're probably.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Oh God, I told you this yesterday. Say you were prepared, but.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
I've been thinking about it and I still can't think. Look,
any walk around Wellington would be lovely. Wellington's beautiful finish
at high Water perfect.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
There you go, Thank you both of it, Edwards and
Cape Brisland and coming in today and giving us your
time and talking about business and Wellnington too youngish young yeah, young,
definitely yeah, very young Wellington business people.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said, b your inside word on all
things business in the Capitol with Quinovac, better systems, better reporting,
better call, quinobeck, oh eight hundred quinovec.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get down, Let's get down, monn monight.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You've had a million million night business joining us for
our every two weeks? Is it bi weekly? Is such
a word as bye weekly? Fortnightly? Okay, fortnightly our fortnightly business? Batal?
The duce is just yelling at me fortnightly fortnightly. You
know you guys are not. Yes, there is a bye
(00:51):
weekly and works for you joining us, joining us this
morning and for our panel is ev Edwards, good morning,
good morning. She is the owner of Evit Edwards Flores. Now,
if you haven't been there, you're living in a cave,
and you obviously don't love anybody because you haven't gone
and bought flowers. And when you go in there, have
(01:13):
a look at the lights, because apparently I haven't seen them.
Someone told me that the lights are amazing. And Kate Breslin,
now Kate owns Tomboy Bakery, and everybody knows Kate. Don't they.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
I mean some people.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Everybody knows Kate Hello everybody, because she makes amazing cakes
as a great, amazing little cafe. If only they did eggs,
if you did poach the eggs, I'd be there every day.
Oh look, no one wants to do eggs anymore.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, I mean we're just limited on space.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Okay. Well, anyway, if you haven't been to Tomboy, get
along there, or if you have someone you love. The
show should be about love, isn't it, Because you know
this is you know, you're either buying flowers for people
you love or you're buying cakes for people you love.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yes, but we also offer cakes for breakups.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Vibe really our vibe.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Here.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
We are trying to sit down, got two wonderful guests,
and we're going to talk about love.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
We do more some breakout cakes and love cakes. We
do all the cakes. But yes, you're right, love is
the great binder.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah. But why would you buy flowers for someone you
break up with? Would you buy flowers?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I think it's probably more of a Monday morning Sorry.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Flowers. They're the ones that I always think, oh, what did.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You do on the weekend?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
You know what? Whenever I and I'm very guilty of it.
My wife loves flowers, and I give her flowers not enough,
not enough because I'm broke. But I mean whenever you
give flowers, you go to the floris and you put
a little note in there, like I love you or
something nice on the on the flower thing, right, and
they always look at you and go, uh, he's been caught. Yeah,
(02:53):
what did you do? Shouldn't be like that, right, let's
talk bus let's just talk gets serious. I really hate
the catchphrase that everybody seems to be using. Kate, I've
got to say, she didn't never heard of it.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Well, like I said, sort of.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
I feel like I've been living in a cave in
my kitchen. But I understand it.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And the catchphrase for those who are sitting there waiting
for us, survive till twenty five. Isn't that a horrible
way of doing business? Survive till twenty five? When you
start us off on this.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Oh yeah, I mean every day we're surviving, right, So
it's every day. It's not just till next year. We're
pushing every day to keep going. There's constant roadblocks, there's
constant hurdles. It's not like next year. Is going to
be any better than this year or the year before.
(03:46):
It's just we just keep going.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
That's right, Yeah, I think so. I mean surviving, like
you say, is just part of having a business, you know, reinventing,
coming up with new ideas, things that have died, things
that have been reignited.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
It's all part of putting that together. To survive is
just having a bus business.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I think, Yeah, that's used to.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Be like that. I've got to I mean, you guys
are a lot younger than me, but business did not
used to be like that. You would set up a business,
you would put all your effort into it, you'd have
your standards, you'd have everything right, and you'd open the
doors while and if you did it right, you made money.
If you did it wrong, you go broke. Yeah, it's
not like that anymore, some of the real good ones.
(04:30):
And I put myself not putting myself in the real
good ones, but I'm saying, you know, you open up
and your fingers cross and hope like hell and hope
that someone's going to come in your shop.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, I definitely think those days are gone. And like
some of our customers are, you know, business owners who've
had those businesses and they're so successful and you know,
and it's and I can see how to them they
it all came really easily. But it definitely isn't like that.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Things move so much faster. You have to be really
dynamic adaptable, not only because of things like pandemics, but
just the way business is done, what the customers want
changes so fast.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, tell us a bit how business is for you
right now? I mean, compare it over the last five
years and stuff. So how is business right now?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So flowers, I think is you know, it's in its
own little niche market. It always takes a bit of
a hit when people have got a bit less cash
in their pocket, because you know, first comes bread, butter
and all of those sorts of things to buy first,
and if you've got a bit left over, a lot
of people would get some flowers. So we always take
(05:38):
a big hit when people haven't got as much cash
to spend. So it hasn't been an easy year. We've
had to work really hard at looking after our customers
and our community and be really inventive. Like at the
moment we're actually running a pop up inside our store,
a pop up cafe. So Thursday Friday and Saturday. For
(06:00):
the last month, we've been serving cake and coffee inside
our florist, which is obviously not a part of my
business plan that I ever had that I would turn
to hospitality to keep.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You know, how's that working for you?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's been really busy. Like we served last Sunday, we
served nearly three hundred.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
People, three hundred coffees.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, it was the opening our coffee Supreme helped us
do an opening event and one hundred people came at
seven thirty in the morning on a wet, cold, rainy day,
you know. And but these are the kind of things
I think you have to do. Is it's it's like
reinventing within your business, like what you have the capacity
to do whilst kind of keeping everything on brand. You know,
(06:45):
Kate's really good break up cakes, things like that, you know,
something a bit different that sparks the customer and even
your existing customers to come and buy into your business again.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Kate, do you think that we're close to coming right?
I mean, me and you have discussions when I do
buy the odd sandwich. Yeahfa, we have this conversation, you know,
when we get placed to face. Do you think it's
going to come right in the next twelve months.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I mean, I hope it comes right. I do think.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Look, I think everything's cyclical, and I know that we're
in a rough patch, a really rough patch.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
We're looking at each other with tears in our eyes,
and I tell you listeners, so we both look here.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
No, look, it's fine, it's it's I.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Really hope that we will pull through this.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
It's really hard for people though, you know, it is
hard for our consumers to spend at the moment, coffees
have become a luxury item. You know. It's that that's
sort of where you end up in these sort of situations,
you know, with people's finances.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It's yeah, is.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
This a different kind of recession? Because I was grown up.
I brought up under the belief that a recession affects
the bottom twenty percent, the next twenty percent gets a
little bit effected in the top sixty percent are okay
because that top of their game. Now you guys are
both top of your games. Like you know, if you
think of a cake and you want to impress somebody,
(08:13):
you go to you okay, you know, you go to
tomboy and get that cake. You know, if you're looking
for flowers and you wanted that extra but you'd go
to your florist shop event, so your top of your game,
and you're telling me that it's still hard work.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Of course it's hard work.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Yeah, constantly, like if it said, constantly pivoting to try
and bring people in with something new. You know, we
are saturated with you know, for cafes and whatnot in Wellington,
which is a good thing. I think it's good that
we've got such a great offering. But you know, we're
all all working hard to keep our doors open. So
(08:49):
we have to keep offering different things to kind of
keep it, keep the vibe flowing right, you want to
keep the momentum running. And that for me is how
I have you know, I feel.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Like, what have you done? What have you done to
change anything from twelve months ago?
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Twelve months ago?
Speaker 5 (09:09):
I think actually the main part of what I've focused
on is extracting myself from the business before I was
going to have a mental breakdown, and so that's been
a massive.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
That's been massive for me to.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Actually get out of the business and not work every
single day and apply myself more to running the business
from an operational standpoint. So I have sort of been
freeballing it for quite a while, so.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
You become the helicopter pilot looking down on it rather
than being the guy.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
But I want to be involved in the business, but
I need to run it better to keep it going.
I think I got a big fright thinking. I don't
want to lose my business. I don't want it to
go under it.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I'll fight.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Tooth and nail to keep this business afloat. So I
actually need to start running it better. And so that's
where my focus has been in the last twelve months.
And it's worked.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
But yeah, it's cost.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Massive, Yeah massive, I get it.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
You know, like people will come in and they're spending
you know, twelve months ago somebody would come in buy
a sandwich, cake and a coffee, and now it's just
maybe the coffee.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Or a sandwich between two people exactly.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So long as people are still coming in, that's great.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, you know, like, well you're you're on trend. That's
why they're coming in of it. Just quickly, what have
you done to make things different? You've talked about your
coffee thing. You're a florist, now you're a coffee place.
You know, because I said to someone the other day,
it's go for a coffee in my office manager said
go out to the florist shop, buy a coffee there,
you know what I mean. So people are obviously talking
about Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I mean, we've been really lucky. I don't always know what,
you know, what clicks with people. Sometimes as a business owner,
you know you're deliberating what it is that's.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Made this one thing so popular.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
But you know, we have been really lucky that that's
definitely paid the bills, the wages, and kept the lights
on this month one hundred percent. But one of the
biggest things I actually did, similarly to Kate, was you know,
through COVID, I was probably doing seven days a week.
My longest stint was I did sixty eight days in
a row, which is huge when you're in any kind
(11:18):
of customer facing role.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
It's exhausting.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
And it was actually my husband that talked me into
closing on weekends, which sounds so counterintuitive for a retail business,
but it's actually been one of the best things we've
done in the last twelve months because a lot of
our business can operate Monday to Friday, and I think
just having that two days away from the shop face
to like, you know, recharge and come back fresh. And
(11:44):
you know, weekends could have been a bit hit and
mess with sales anyway, depending on the weather, and you
just you know, it's been actually a really good thing
to be able to step away a bit.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
More in the week.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
We have Edwards, So she's the owner of it, Edward's Florist.
Why did you choose your own name for the flora shop?
This makes it harder to read it out, doesn't it?
Okay Breslin, who owns Tomboy Bakery in Mount Victoria. You're
both in the same sort of area, really, aren't you.
Evets and Tory Street next to Joe's Garage. That's been
(12:16):
a florist for years. Have you always owned it?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yep, that's been mine for seven and a half years now.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Oh, well, fantastic. And you don't open on the weekends
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Well, no, not for retail at the moment, but while
we've got a little pop up running of the cafe,
we are.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
But then otherwise no on weekends at the moment.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
There you go. The OCEA was left unchanged in the
latest update of as interest rates continue to buy it
for both consumers and business. Kate, I'm going to start
with you. There are the high interest rates affecting your business,
either from your own debt or your noticeable downturn and business.
Do you know do you think people are people talk
you talk to people in a cafe, are they talking
about interest rates?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
No, it's not sort of the first thing that they'll
talk about. But in terms of noticing it within the business. Fortunately,
from our perspective, we don't have loan through banks, which
is good. But the consumer side of things, with their
interest rates going up, they're obviously tightening their belts, so
their spending habits are changing. It's not technically spoken about,
(13:20):
but you can feel it.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Do you think it's going to make a difference when
supposing they start coming down, do you think it'll.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Make yep, Yeah, absolutely, It's like, yeah, interest rates come down,
people think they've got a little bit of free cash.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
They might go on splurge.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
You get a coffee, a little piece of cake, some
flowers or yeah, start saving then where you know, with
the seasons as well, it'll change and you know Christmas
is coming, you get a bit more excited, you spend
a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Right, sun always brings the best out of everyone. Slutely,
you just feel better.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Don't Yeah, and it springs on like it's on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
So I mean you get up at Mike Costkings times.
I mean you and my cost giving you the only
people in the world that get up with time you
get up? What times do you get up in the morning.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
My alarm will go off at two fifty when I
go to work. The days are go to it.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
That's nuts.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Sometimes my husband will like slapped me and go get up.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
My alarm will just bet that's the middle of the night.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
It is the middle of the night, but it's actually
it's Uh, there's some really cool people who work in
the middle of the night.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
There's some good people. Yeah. But our milkmen and our
you know, food delivery guys. It's like a whole world
operating while we're all asleep.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Nightclubs. Interest rates, we're talking I digressed the interest rates.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, so we obviously, I think selling flowers and plants
and homey bits like we do talk to a lot
of people about home life and their houses and buying
and selling houses and that kind of thing. So I've
had I've definitely had conversations with people talking about, you know,
a bit less money to spend on a few luxuries.
(15:03):
You know, it's incredible to think that, you know, young
couples in their early thirties maybe and sort of paying
an extra five hundred dollars a week on their mortgages.
That's a lot of money to.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
It's a hell of a lot of money for anyone.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, so that's all your fun It's gone, really, isn't it.
You know, like that would be all your little expendable
treats through the week, whether it's an extra dinner out
and a coffee, or more flowers or something nice to wear.
I think, you know, those people are definitely finding it
quite hard. It fascinates me the group of people that
are outside of that affected interest rate hike and where
(15:43):
they've been through.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, I know there's been some very big holidays, definitely
on the cars, like several people have done like three
months in Europe and that kind of thing. But I
think we've got ourselves into like this mindset of not
spending as well. And I think that's one of the
things like as a business owner in Wellington, you know,
and why I love Kate.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
She's always so positive.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She spreads a message about like getting out there and
enjoying what's on off, because there is really cool things
happening in this city, and we often focus on some
of the negative stuff. And I think this is part
of this mindset that we're in where we're like, you know, oh,
I better not spend money or better not go out,
but plenty of people still can, and I sort of
(16:27):
always urge them, you know, go support the things you like,
because they might not be there otherwise.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Do you think that it might have still something to
do with the COVID hangover? Because we were really really
given a fright during COVID. None of us, young or old,
none of us have ever experienced something like where everything
was turned off and suddenly we thought shivers. I didn't
have enough money saved, I didn't have this plan and action.
We none of us thought that was ever going to happen.
So do you think that we might have that hangover
(16:54):
where we think something could go wrong again, so we're
just holding things back.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Maybe yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Group PTSD, Yeah, yeah, I possibly, definitely.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
I think there is a bit of that.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
You know, it was so uncertain for people, and you know,
it did feel like to some extent some of your
controlling your own life was taken away from you, and
you know, we probably that's why I think, you know,
it's important to spread a message of being positive and
encouraging people to you know, get back to life as normal.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
The Council confirmed this month that the Golden Mile project
will be underway by the end of the year, starting
on Cambridge kings Terrace. Meanwhile, we've seen the impact on works,
what it's done to business on Thornton Key. Are you yeah,
I know that you're kind of a supporter of this project,
don't you. Well someone whispered in my ear that you're
(17:46):
not dearly against the Golden Mile idea. So do you
think it's going to have an effect on your business,
which is Dory Street, which is not too far away.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
No, definitely, I mean I definitely feel this whole precinct,
probably from where Kate is, you know, because the works
is around the Embassy down.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
Through to you know, to tur A Naki Street.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
So I'm definitely in that precinct, I think, as you know,
I feel like I wear two hats with this. So yes,
as a business owner, I am concerned that you know,
a lot of road cones and a lot of builders
and digging is going to affect business. But the other
side of it is I live in Mount Vick, so
I live in the city and it needs fixing. Like
(18:30):
it's it's not great. It's definitely not a Golden Mile,
but it.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Is to some people. It is the golden mile to
some you know, some of the retailers, some of the
food places, they think that that's that's where they're maybe
are living for twenty thirty.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Years those.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Exactly, And I think that, you know, I mean, I've
got a couple of younger students that work for me,
and you know, because I have tried to go to
a lot of the council meetings and be involved, and
I've often come back and asked them their opinions because
you know, they use it in a totally different way,
like Courtney plays in a completely different way to how
I do.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
And they don't even like going there.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So you know, it's like we need to find a
mix and some kind of different version of that area anyway,
because it doesn't I don't feel like it's thriving, and
you know, it does need a bit of tidying up.
And you know, I moved into Toy Street because I'd
like a bit of edge. They I didn't want to
be on Sparkly Lampton Key and you know, so I
(19:32):
don't want to kind of gentrify and tidy up too much.
But it is a bit broken, you know, it doesn't
work as a street of entertainment and hospital as it
is at the moment. So I do support some sort
of change, definitely.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Right, Kate your thoughts because you've you know, had along
you even worked at some of those places down there
when you're growing up, So you know Courtney Place pretty well.
You're at the end of Courtney Place really, that's where
your cafe is. Yes, you know your mount Vic, but
you're going to be hugely effected of this whole corner
of the street where you're fifty meters away.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
I mean, yeah, it'll be will be a mess for
a long time, for a lot of people, for a
lot of businesses.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I I don't know, I.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Do I think about you know, I was thinking about
what if what if there are people who can't access
sort of the the opera house, you know, like who
need who need help getting there, who can't walk or
things like that, there's only bus lanes. What about what
about the people who can't access the facilities that are
(20:38):
on Courtney place that they need them. You know, if
it's going to be bus lanes, how is it going
to help people?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
And I've actually asked that exact question because even as
a business in the area, like we often deliver flowers
to them, yeah, you know for opening night, you know,
And my first look was like, how on earth am
I going to carry and earn of flowers down place?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But what are they saying? What was their answer?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
That there will be access, So like as a business
delivering you will be able to get access down that road.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
And that, but you'll probably end up having to pay
what five hundred dollars a year for a perpose I've
done there.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
It's just another way about that. No, I'm i'ming that
that's probably what's.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Going to Are you, either of you making any plans?
I mean, we're supposed to start this year, in the
year both of you, all three of us are going
to be affected hugely by it. Are you making any
plans to what you're going to do?
Speaker 2 (21:33):
It's so hard, I think because there's so off, so
many projects in Wellington since I've lived here that are
going to start and going to happen that I do
to an extent, feel like you have to wait till
it actually starts because you've got like.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
You know, yeah, you're saying you don't even think it.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Will start potentially, like there's plenty of opposition against it.
You know, it's a huge expense, you know, when we've
got other things we need to spend money on. I
still think, you know, as much as the plans have
been in you know, we've already passed several dates that
it was due to st are, So I think it's
hard to kind of say, yeah, this is what I'm
going to do when there's lots of projects that actually
(22:13):
still are not underway that we've talked about for many many.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
But what about all the landlords as well?
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Right, so all those empty spaces they're doing all this
work for what you know, there's low occupancy and a
lot of the retail spaces.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
So presumably they're going to be more expensive once it's
all shiny and new. Do we have enough people and
business owners to fill all of that? You know, these
are questions I've asked many times as well.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Going out, data shows takeaways and caterers are doing okay,
but restaurants are struggling. Are you noticing people are going
out less and spending less but ordering stuff? Now that's
right up your alleyway, that's you to a t. I
want a big cake to the birth of my child,
which we had one of yours, not my child, but
someone can learn them. Yeah, that's your style. So is
(23:02):
that what's happening?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Oh yeah, Look, cake sales have been have been down lately,
but they're slowly picking up. I think again what we
were talking about earlier and people tightening their belts. Obviously
you can make a cake at home and save a
lot of money. But yeah, where now people are spending more,
they're buying their cakes. You notice that springtime surge of
(23:25):
babies from New Year's I do get a lot of
orders in spring. You know that it'll start to pick
up again. And yeah, look, people are still going out.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
People like to go out.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
You know, we're a city where we're saturated.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
We've got a.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Lot to offer.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
But it's how they're spending. So they're spending less.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
You're right, they'll share something, they'll you know, they they
won't go three courses, they'll just have one.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Can I ask you? And I don't want you to
speak on your husband's behalf. But your husband is obviously
a well known hospital person in the city. Some would
say legit comes from a pretty damn good.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Stock, also very handsome.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You didn't have to bring that up. But are they
are they feeling the same thing Cuba Street seems to be.
They seem to they seem to be.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Okay, Yeah, that Nardi has Nadi and his business partners
they have They've really nailed the concept for their businesses
and it's pretty streamlined and.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Works really well. Yeah, they're really successful, So.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's not they're not affected by this so called.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
I mean, I don't think as much like you say
they're in that they're in the area where there's a.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Lot of people, a lot of foot traffic.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
I mean, I've.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Established themselves really well in the industry.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So yes, yes, they have, Yes, done very well. You
can name the restaurants they own.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
He has a Scorpa pizzeria and eleven fifty four past area.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Okay, so I living for fifty.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
One past it and they're both so good.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah, and they are so they are so good. They
are so good. We'll give them. We'll give them that credit.
It coming back to the real world, not the too
successful restaurants that we're hearing about. Lots of successful places
out there. We know there's lots of successful places and
we have to be positive. A lot of the slump
and Warrington's been blamed on the you know, so called
(25:33):
job cuts in Welington. Do you really think that is
affecting us as badly as well or is it just
an excuse.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
I think it's part of that, you know, that mindset
again that you know, like especially, I've noticed that people
tend to spend more money when they're actually happy, even
though you think they might spend money when they need
cheering up. I actually think people are more spendy when
they're in a good mood, when the sun shining. You know,
they're feeling good, just had their hair done, the house
(26:01):
looks great, I'm going to go out for coffee, buy
some flowers. So I think, you know, having that sort
of a slight negative sort of thing happening around that
job scene is definitely having an effect on people going
out and spending money. But you know, a lot of
people that have maybe not jumped into a new job
straight away, have they've been high earners right, they've been
(26:25):
on consultants rates. They've been on good wages, so I
should think they've still got their comfortable. You know, there
will definitely be people that are affected a bit more,
but a lot of that group, you know, they've they've
probably got plenty of money in the bank. I think
it's just they probably might feel a little bit sad.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I would like it would be really nice if a really,
like a small percentage of the people who did lose
their jobs have been sitting at a desk job for years,
going God, I wish, I wish I didn't want to
I wish I could just blow glass and sell my
beautiful glass. Were like, it would be really nice. Out
of all the losses there was a small group of
people who would become small independent business owners, which would
(27:03):
start that surge back in our community.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Right, you get this, Apparently.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
They are and apparently they are. Apparently if you listen
to the business brokers, they are. They're going out and saying, hey,
no longer do I want to be answerable to somebody.
I've just lost my job, some practice just made me redundant.
I'm going to go out and buy a business. So
apparently they are out there.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
I think that's great. I think it's great for the community, and.
Speaker 5 (27:27):
It's it's good for its good and it's good for
the soul. If you're chasing your dream, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I love you of its view though. If you're happy,
you're right, yes, so much. I had a bad day
yesterday and I didn't even get out of the house.
Everything was on top of me. Everything I did, I
didn't do right, you know. And you don't think about
going out and buying go and have a coffee or
doing it. You think of going into your heart. So
I like your view of if we're happy, we're spending Yeah,
(27:53):
just before we go to this way, you're going to
take someone really special. Has been obviously a lot of
talk about people moving their businesses from the CBD, from
the city out to the suburbs. A lot of people
are working from home, which we haven't discussed this particular out.
What do you think, what are you going to? Would
you say that's a good idea. Would you think about
(28:14):
going out to the suburbs instead of being in town.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well, I actually started my business in the suburbs when
I was out in Ireland Bay, and I I think,
I mean, it probably depends. It could be a bit
business specific, But for me, I definitely reached the point
that I couldn't grow it anymore because you were so
contained by your suburb. Really, it was hard to like
(28:37):
break into that next bit of work and that those
corporate jobs and the event work.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And I get that. With a florists, it'll be you're
the local florists and that's it. Yeah, Okate, what about you?
Have you thought about because I mean half your business
or a percentage your business would be mass production a cake,
So you could have a little bakery and a little
cafe in the suburbs and pay half the rent and
probably live life a bit easier.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I mean, yeah, I could.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
I am I not suburban and Mount vert Lip it.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Hell, you're one hundred meters from Courtney Place, I mean,
come on, that's suburban.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Yeah, I'm a suburban cafe. No, I'm pretty happy. I'd
always thought that i'd opened something in Kindala, which is.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Where I was based. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I like the idea of having somewhere close, but actually
where we are, our proximity to the city and the
suburb of Mount Victoria has been great.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's all right, let's get two from two. Let's talk
about where you'd take someone of this person you've got
an English background. So someone's flying over from London. You
two o'clock in the afternoon, they've arrived into Wellington. We've
only got two minutes and been told to hurry up.
You'd fly them into Wellington. What are you going to
do and what are you going to take?
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Well, let's make it twelve o'clock so I can stop
at tom Boy. Oh definitely would. I live on Mount Vick,
so it's a go to the last Exandwich. Plus you
might get a little hug from K two, which always
makes you my day, and then I reckon look for
either a pop up or something new that's opened or
Webb's auction House always have really good rotating exhibitions which
(30:06):
you often feature like quite a few local artists or
even ones you haven't come across before, which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
You're not really showing off Wellington. I mean tom Boy, Yes,
I get that, but you're not actually showing them the
beautiful picturesque Wellington.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
By the time you've walked back down through the harbor
and bought some flowers, driven back.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Up, Come on, give me somebody a little bit more exciting.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Oh, gosh.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
Okay, Well, I'd pack up my friend and we would
drive to Roberto's and Mirrama and get a coffee and
some Dolce, and then we would probably drive back around
the water because it is still beautiful, although there's lots
of road cones.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
So you get in your car. That's the difference.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Yeah, Roberto, Robertoss.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
He's in that little complex area where his.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Pa love that place so good. Yeah yeah, okay, sorry.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Made pasta blah blah blah. Where else would we go?
We're probably.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Oh God, I told you this yesterday. Say you were prepared, but.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
I've been thinking about it and I still can't think. Look,
any walk around Wellington would be lovely. Wellington's beautiful finish
at high Water perfect.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
There you go, Thank you both of it, Edwards and
Cape Brisland and coming in today and giving us your
time and talking about business and Wellnington too youngish young yeah, young,
definitely yeah, very young Wellington business people.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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