1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Right now, one of Alkan's best known restaurants, He Couples, 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: is shutting down one of its businesses, but with a twist, 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Sid and Chant sadahwit on the French Cafe and Sid 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: and his wife are shutting there Ponsonby Road restaurant Cole, 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: which will be disappointing for many, but the premises won't 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: be empty for long. They have been taking applications for 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: a new venture to take over the space with the 8 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: bonus of mentorship from the couple. Chant is with us 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: this evening, Good. 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 2: Evening, good evening, Ryan, How are you very good? 11 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm sad to hear about Cole. I went 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: and loved it. What's the decision? What has forced the 13 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: decision or made the decision? 14 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, you have to be fiscally responsible, and 15 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 2: we've been seeing a downturn for about the last three 16 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: or four months, and we've been putting in our own funds. 17 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 2: But you know, you can only hope for so long 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: and try and change things around, offer a cheaper deals. 19 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: But we've decided, I did, we'd need to pull the 20 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 2: pin on this concept and try something different. 21 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: And what is that something different? 22 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 2: Well, we thought about it. We think that the market 23 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 2: has changed with the cost of living crisis, and discretionary 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: spend has gone down for most of the middle class. 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: So I think there is some other concept out there. 26 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: We've got some ideas of what we would do with 27 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: the space, but we feel like, look when we started 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 2: in two thousand and nine, we started our first restaurant, Sidark, 29 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: and we were helped along with a bi Alovely mentor 30 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: who was also an angel investor, and he took a 31 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 2: chance on this not known couple and gave us some 32 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: funding and we wouldn't be here without that angel investor. 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: So we want to do the same thing and see 34 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: if there is a better idea out there than what 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: we have for the space and hopefully meant to someone 36 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: who's a budding chef or front of house or someone 37 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,279 Speaker 2: who's got hospitality in their blood take the next step. 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: So how does it work? Will they have to pay 39 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: for the space and then you know, pay for the 40 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: basically take on the lease or are you stub leasing? 41 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: How does it work? 42 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 2: So it's not a sublase, it's what Of course, it 43 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 2: has to have a viable business plan, which is why 44 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 2: we've got a panel eff experts helping us. We've got 45 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 2: Kelly Brett, We've got of Goody magazine, Marissa Biddue of 46 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: the Restaurant Association, and well known restaurant Al Brown helping 47 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 2: us make this decision to be fair as well to 48 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: all the applicants because we know so many people in 49 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: the industry ourselves, and we don't want to be favoring somebody. 50 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 2: So they need to have a good business plan, describe 51 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 2: their concept to us and the panel will decide they 52 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: need the business has to be a business and pay 53 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: rent and help us with the rent. But all the 54 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: chattels are there, the spit out, which is expensive, it's 55 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: just two years old, is there for them to use 56 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 2: all these things. If you were to try and buy 57 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 2: a business, you'd have to redo and you know, you'd 58 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 2: have to buy the plate, you'd have to get a 59 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: liquor license, you'd have to do all that. All of 60 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 2: the setup is there, so they don't have to buy 61 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,679 Speaker 2: the business. They don't have to take the responsibility of 62 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 2: the lease either, because the lease remains an un name. 63 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 2: The concept does not work out for whatever reason, the 64 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 2: lease is still are and they can walk away. 65 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: Ah, So it's a sort of a risk free trial 66 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: for someone who's wanting to get into it, or maybe 67 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: someone who does takeaways at the moment has never done 68 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: a restaurant that exactly. 69 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: It could be someone with a food truck. It could 70 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: be someone who's running a cafe somewhere else in the country, 71 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 2: someone in the cargo Hokatika. We don't know, someone who 72 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: wants to try the hand in the big small confountant 73 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 2: road and see if their concept will be appreciated by 74 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: the current market. And there's no risk involved. We're there 75 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: to help mentors, so is the restaurant Association. We just 76 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: want to see someone else succeed and give them that 77 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: up in life. 78 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: Interesting. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. Chand 79 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you coming on the program. That's chance, 80 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: said Hwit, who's a restaurant tour with us. It is 81 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: twenty one minutes away from seven. I've been to that restaurant. 82 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed my meal and I really enjoyed my cocktails. 83 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. I'm sad it won't be there anymore. 84 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to 85 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,119 Speaker 1: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays or follow 86 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio