Peter and Anne

We are a couple living in North Yorkshire with 2 small boys ( aged 2 and 3 ). We applied to emigrate top New Zealand in May and hope to open a restauant in Tauranga as soon as possible. If anyone has any ideas or help we would be very grateful.

all the best

Peter and Anne

Don

Top tip: make sure you do OAP Specials for lunch and dinner. Tauranga is retirement-ville. Bognor Regis, Kiwi-style.

Akaubear

Hello Peter and Anne!

Have a search through the forum for posts mentioning Tauranga. There are plenty of them - should keep you busy for a while!

It's a fabulous place to live for both young and old!!

Good luck!

Nicola.

r.bartlett

hi peter and anne

glad you made it..;-)

will send you a p.m

cheers

richard

Scarlett G

Hi, we lived in Tauranga for a year and are planning on going back in dec/jan. It is a town with a thriving restaurant/cafe culture and there is always plenty of business for sale/rent. Although there are a lot of older people there , there are also loads of families and younger people..fab place for little people, especially boys (I have 2 also!!) and the main reason for our return.
Have a look on www.realenz.co.nz on the businesses for sale section. Good luck!!

robernelli

My wife and I have been considering NZ for 3 years now. Originally we wanted to open a restaurant (well more of a cafe really catering for the daytime market). It is ceratinly conpetitive and a higher standard, I think, that the UK. I think experience is important. My wife has some experience, but not enough for us to make that plunge without living there for a while and sussing out gaps in the market etc. I trust you have already done this side of the research though. We have decided to go over and work for a few years while exploring our options further. We loved Tuaranga and it is the fastest growing city in NZ so it has plenty going for it!

Rob

southerner

Rob

A word of caution (which you may not need anyway). "Fastest growing" does not mean it has plenty going for it.

Sure there might be positives associated with growth, especially if you are thinking of getting into business (as it appears you may be). But there are also likely to be issues associated with fast growth, such as sprawling estates and infrastructure (roads, schools, hospitals) not keeping up.

And just because everybody else seems to like the place and are moving there does not necessarily translate to you liking it there.

So, I hope it was just a trun of phrase you used, and that you have many other good reasons why Tauranga is for you.

ps its a great place, and would be on my shortlist for sure.

Kiwipaul

One thing I couldn't believe was the attitude of some small buisnesses like cafes and resturants around Xmas and Jan, the main holiday season in NZ. They actually went on holiday themselves and shut up shop even in the tourist spots.

Far as I can see if you are prepared to stay open when the punters want you to be open you should be ok.

That attitude dosn't seem as bad in Australia.

robernelli

Hi Southerener, yes it was more of a turn of phrase than anything else, and appreciate that not all aspects of a growing population are postive. Another example is that it may be growing but not with the type of people who are likely to frequent the restaurant (or cafe or whatever) if it had a clear niche. Personally, I would be doing a lot more research before taking the plunge into business. That is why we have decided to work for a few years and weigh up our options. By then, Tauranga could be one of many. Work would likely to take me elsewhere anyway (as I have pointed out on that other NZ chat site we use).

Rob