Café Ninety Nine owners Kay McGeough and Darren Edge say they’re delighted with a new outdoor dining space outside the café that’s been created by the Taupō Town Centre Transformation work on Tongariro Street.
The work to transform the street into a two-lane, slower speed zone with extra carparks, pedestrian islands and a cycle lane also includes outdoor dining spaces to help create a more inviting environment along the street.
Work started on Tongariro Street in August and while Kay and Darren said that business has been quiet, partly due to the street works and partly due to the loss of customers from Auckland and the Waikato, they’re looking forward to the street being completed.
Darren said for Café Ninety Nine, the major benefit of the Tongariro Street upgrade is that it has allowed the café to develop an outdoor dining area, which is something they have been keen to see for some time.
The outdoor dining area was completed two weeks ago and Kay and Darren say customers are already choosing to sit there on sunny days.
Darren is positive about the revamp of Tongariro Street and said he expects the final result to be great for the town, adding vibrancy and helping cement its reputation as a foodie destination.
“All over the world, restaurant streets are pedestrianised…you look at France, London, it’s all pedestrianised. We’ve got a pleasant setting here – now we just need the people.”
