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The official newsletter of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand
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International trends help to
2013 is upon us and with a new year comes a time of planning for the coming year. So what are some of the key trends internationally that may help you to strategise your business’ growth in 2013?
B uying locally grown produce and locally sourced meats and seafood is a key international trend already gaining traction here. Local farms and food producers have become an important
source of ingredients for chefs and restaurateurs wishing to support their business community and highlight seasonal ingredients on menus. And it can be highly cost effective. We’ve noticed some taking this a step further with a hospitality businesses developing their own gardens, a movement called “hyper-local” sourcing. You can’t get much fresher than that!
Restaurant gardens are also a way to minimize your carbon footprint, which links to another key trend – environmental sustainability. If this is your focus start by addressing some of your biggest environmental impacts: food purchasing (as above), the use of energy, waste and water, packaging and use of toxic cleaning chemicals. To get started check out Conscious Consumers—a way for you to gain environmental accreditation and promote your green sensibilities to consumers.
A recent American survey which asked how to best handle the increasing cost of ingredients found that only 4 percent said that raising menu prices is the best strategy. However a key trend to come as a result of increasing food prices (and the economic difficulties of the past few years) is the use of different, or new, cuts of meat. Culinary creativity is also a factor driving this trend.
Social media, loyalty programmes and the use of table technology are also key technology trends internationally. With this in mind the Association is running a social media webinar and working with EFTPlus, who offer a sophisticated loyalty programme to help drive loyal customers to your business.
Not every international trend can be adapted locally, however it pays to look overseas at some of the key factors influencing business to see how you may use them to effect in your operation.
new year goals for small businesses With each new year comes a new set of goals. In light of this yearly tradition of creating lists, here are five attainable new year business goals for the small business owner.
07
preparing for the new alcohol rules To assist operators to prepare for the new rules around the sale and supply of alcohol we look at some of the key implications for businesses over the coming months.
22
who can enter a business on business
26
set strategies for 2013
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3
think your café is the best?
16
are your employees entitled to work here?
TH
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02
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proud ly b rought to you by Outdoor Concepts
November 2011 09 ceo update
FROM THE CEO’s DESK
F igures released in January by Paymark, which
processes about 75 per cent of all electronic
transactions in New Zealand, show that December 2012
spending was up on the year previous. The seasonally
adjusted total spend through the Paymark network
increased 0.5 per cent from November to December
2012, the third consecutive monthly gain.
Annual spending growth throughout December was high
amongst:
cafes and restaurants (+7.1%)
liquor retailers (+8.0%)
department stores (+6.3%).
Nationwide, during December, the volume of card
transactions was 3.6 per cent higher than a year ago,
with debit card value (+3.1%) increasing faster than
credit card value (+1.4%).
This information confirms the conversations I have had
with many members about how the summer season is
going. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, which
is great news. Many are still struggling out there but it’s
great to hear some positive stories to start the New Year.
www.dinefind.co.nz
We have started the year off at full speed with our (and
your) new www.dinefind.co.nz dining guide nearing
completion. It would be great if you could please take the
time to update your business’ details and send through
some photos, so we have all the information we need to
launch the site. A reminder has been sent to everyone via
email this week.
Gift vouchers and restaurant gift cards
We will also use this site as a platform to promote the gift
voucher and gift card programmes. A reminder about
these schemes – they are one of the ways we aim to drive
potential customers to your business, so make sure you
are signed up to accept both the vouchers and restaurant
gift cards. If you are not sure whether you are set up just
give us a call.
The year looks like it is off to a good start for many... BY MARISA BIDOIS
Submissions and advocacy
The Association have also submitted a recommendation
this month to Watercare in Auckland who are undergoing
a review of their wastewater tariffs. Currently hospitality
businesses pay a wastewater tariff calculated on 100% of
the water that flows through their meter. It is our
recommendation that this calculation should be reduced
by at least 25% as hospitality business use a large
amount of water in the preparation of food and drink.
Please let us know if you notice something up for review
in your local area. We can sometimes miss things. It
would be great to have some of our members more
actively in the lobbying action. If you are particularly
passionate about an issue affecting the industry let us
know, so we can get you more involved. We have had
interest from some of our members lately and I would like
to open this up to all. It’s great to have our members
involved in the issues that are affecting our industry.
Webinar series and professional development
Our webinar series starts again in March and we are very
excited about this. With webinars everyone across the
country can log in and join in on the learning, wherever
you are! Have a look at the list of great topics—the latest
professional development calendar is included with this
issue of THE Thymes. You could even get a group of staff
members together and join in as a group.
Our breakfast seminars are hitting the main centres this
year too. Make an effort to come along to these as they
are a great way to get updated
on important issues and at the
same time meet some of the
hospo professionals in your
neighbourhood.
As always we are working on new
ways to help you save money in
your business too and look
forward to releasing more
benefits in the coming months.
Marisa Bidois
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02 THE THYMES February 2012 ceo’s update
T wice in a month our sector made front page news,
relegating the murderers and rapists to the inside
pages. Who would have thought the closure of a 35 seat
bistro in Petone would warrant front page headlines and
photos!
Another impact was the constant barrage of various
discount deal offerings. These companies have no long
term stake in our business and swoop in to prey on the
vulnerable with a quick fix of cash flow which leads to a
minor influx of low, or no, margin business. Often
referred to as “crack cocaine for business“ these quick
and immediate highs come with a price. The following
20th of the month you realise you barely covered your
cost of goods, and maybe the wages, and there was
nothing left for overheads. You are then forced to go
back to these dealers for another dose the next month.
The ramifications of these discount merchants affect us
all. Operators report that even though they never offer
these deals they still receive enquiries every day asking
“what sort of discount deal are you are offering”. It’s as
though a segment of the market have been weaned off
ever paying regular prices at any time. Whilst these
professional bargain hunters are not our target market,
as discounting is unsustainable, nevertheless the rise in
the numbers of these sites in 2012 was disconcerting.
The good news is that I believe they are a passing fad
and already in the USA, Groupon, the Chicago company
that started this trend off in 2009, is in deep trouble as
they have found that very few merchants in our sector
willingly go back for a second dose. As a result they are
fast running out of restaurants and cafes to offer up.
Another worrying trend in 2012 was the change in
attitude to honouring bookings over the Xmas period.
Operators reported that bookings either cancelled at the
last minute, reduced their numbers with very short notice,
or just turned up with less in their party. It seems as
though there has been a change whereby we should all
be grateful for any business they give us and if they chop
and change without notice so be it. I guess the way to
counter this is to take deposits and have stricter terms
and conditions but this can put potential customers off.
On a more positive note; the team at the Restaurant
Association have had a great year. Marisa has shown
great leadership in building a fantastic culture within the
organisation. The team as always have provided
invaluable assistance and support to our members as
well as growing the memberships and providing effective
advocacy to the powers that be.
One of the coming challenges this year is the new
Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act which gives individual
territorial authorities the power to set certain things such
as hours of operation and fee structures for licensing and
relicensing. In Wellington the council have initiated a
licensee forum whereby a group of industry stakeholders
as well as police and city officials come together to work
on a mutually beneficial framework that we can operate
under. It works really effectively and there is much greater
understanding of our needs as small business operators
as well as wider understanding of our responsibilities of
reducing the harm caused by alcohol.
I would encourage other regions to follow this model as
we have already seen good results, including the
reassignment of obstructive individuals from the
bureaucracy. The realisation that our sector plays a role
in the vitality of a region and that we are to be
encouraged to thrive and innovate is a refreshing
change .
I wish all of our members a prosperous 2013 and hope
that there is an oversupply of hungry and thirsty
customers for us all to share as well a constant supply of
motivated, friendly, well spoken, trained and hardworking
hospitality professionals to assist in our quest for
consistently excellent service and cuisine.
PRESIDENT’S VIEWPOINT 2012 WAS TOUGH YEAR FOR MANY OPERATORS HERE IN WELLINGTON AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THE LOCAL MEDIA LOOKED TO PROFILE OPERATORS THAT HAD EITHER VOICED AN OPINION ON THE
TOUGH MARKET CONDITIONS, OR WERE CLOSING. BY MIKE EGAN
proud ly b rought to you by S ta r l ine
advertisement
THE THYMES February 2013 03 president’s viewpoint
...don’t forget to support the people who support your Restaurant Association key partners... associate+ partners...
SAVE WITH THE COKE VIP PROGRAMME +receive a $200 membership credit!
The Restaurant Association is focused on providing members with
relevant services and benefits to add value to your businesses.
The Association is in partnership
with Coca-Cola Amatil which
offers some key benefits to those
operators who join the
Coca-Cola VIP Restaurant
Partnership Programme.
The Coca-Cola VIP programme
provides discounted beverage
pricing, a free order and deliv-
ery service, support to help you
improve beverage sales and a
single Coke sales representative
as primary point of contact for
the operators who participate in
this programme.
Those in the VIP restaurant
partnership programme will also
receive a contribution towards
menus to accommodate their
new beverage listings and
provide glassware, aprons
and bottle openers to use
when serving Coke brands.
In addition, current Restaurant Association members joining the VIP restaurant
partnership programme will receive a $200+gst credit towards their membership
which will be able to be used towards Association services such as products,
professional development courses or other events.
NEED MORE INFORMATION? Call the Restaurant Association on 0800 737 827 or go to www.restaurantnz.co.nz for more information & conditions.
MEMBERINITIATIVES
THE THYMES February 2013 05 member initiatives
HAVE YOU GOT A PLAN?
The new year is a great time to review your business and set out your goals for the coming 12 months. If you’re searching for some inspiration check out the articles on the following pages...
NEW YEAR GOALS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES With each new year comes a new set of goals. As humans, we’re constantly aspiring to improve
ourselves, whether it’s wanting to lose weight, exercise more, get organized, spend less money, etc. In
light of this yearly tradition of creating lists, here are five attainable new year business goals for the small
business owner. BY NELLIE AKALP, CORPNET
1 Delegate More
When you’re just starting out with your business,
money is usually tight and it’s natural to want to
tighten your purse strings.
However, small business owners are also notorious for
having trouble handing over the reigns. Trying to take
care of everything yourself can be harmful to both your
well being and your business. With only one person in
charge of the whole show, there’s only so far you can
scale.
This year, consider tasks that you can delegate down,
such as the countless tasks that are easy to do and don’t
require specific expertise. If you’re worried about costs,
just remember how much of your valuable, revenue-
generating time you’ll be freeing up. Your business can’t
grow when you’re focused on busy work.
In addition to delegating down, think about areas of your
business that you should delegate up. These are the tasks
that require special knowledge and skills and ones not
related to the core wheelhouse of your business.
While DIY may seem easier on the wallet in the short
term, it’s typically better in the long run to hire a specialist
to handle complex issues, such as an accountant for
bookkeeping or taxes or an expert for handling your legal
paperwork like incorporation.
2 Get Your Books Ready for Tax Time Early This
Year
Are you guilty of waiting until the last minute to organize
and file your taxes? Do you find yourself wading through
emails, drawers, and your car to find any stray business
receipts you can expense? Do you need to try to
remember a full year’s mileage expenses in March?
Don’t wait to start on your tax forms this year. Start fresh
by organizing your books from day one of the new year
and start gathering what you need for your prior year’s
taxes now (even if that means outsourcing your
accounting or signing up for a new cloud-based
application).
3. Protect Your Assets with an LLC or Corporation
While legal fine print isn’t the most exciting part of
running a business, forming an LLC or Corporation can
be critical to your business and personal financial health.
These business structures protect your personal assets
from any liabilities of the company.
This means that if your business can’t pay its debts or
happens to be sued, your own personal property may be
shielded from any judgment. In addition, these formal
business structures can improve your tax situation and
carry other benefits that you may want to discuss with
your tax advisor.
If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge to
incorporate, you should at least register your business
name.
This simple step does two things:
It makes sure that you’re legally able to use a
business name.
Ensures that no one else can use your business
name.
CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE
Source: www.smallbiztrends.com
THE THYMES February 2013 07 business initiatives
No' is your most powerful time management tool.
When we know what our values are, and when we have a
clear set of goals in all areas of our lives, we're in a much
stronger position to politely and appropriately say 'no' to
potential time-stealers and less relevant activities.
Every week, block in a few important non-urgent actions.
It's too easy to get caught up in everlasting deadlines.
Change that emphasis by making appointments with
yourself, written into your diary or organiser, to work on
one or two activities per week of long-term and long-
lasting value. Not sure what you could do? Think of the
big tasks put off until you 'have time'. Almost certainly they
can be broken down into small chunks.
How can I do this task more efficiently?'
Become a 'walking question mark'. There are always better
ways to do things. Every time you do a task, look for a
shortcut, a way to trim a few seconds or a minute off the
task. They mount up to a surprising total over a week.
How do you manage your paperwork? Do you put things
away when finished with them? How many unnecessary
steps do you take in a day? Notice how often you say in
frustration, ‘Bother it. I forgot to get (or do) ..... '. Time-
saving efficiencies are all around us, but most people
don't go looking for them.
Block in regular sanity gaps.
Why be wonderfully efficient if we don't take time to enjoy
life and the amazing world we live in? When did you last
take a complete weekend off - no email, no business calls,
no responsibilities other than the people you're with? Many
of us know it's important to clean out old files and regular-
ly defrag our computers - it's a house-keeping process that
helps them run better. Think of taking regular time off as a
defrag of your brain. You'll come back fresher and you'll
also produce better results (just like the computer!) Give
your conscious and sub-conscious time to talk to each
other - you'll be amazed at the results.
Robyn Pearce CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is the Time Queen. She mastered her own time challenges and now helps people around the world overcome theirs. She can show you how to transform your time challenges into high productivity and the life balance you desire.
November 2011 27 international update
TOP MANGEMENT TIPS If one of your business goals for the new year is
to manage your time more efficiently (and let’s
face it, it probably should be), we share these top
tips from time management expert Robyn Pearce.
Holiday & Leave Record Pads Under the Holidays Act 2003 there is a requirement to maintain a holiday and leave record containing very specific information about each employees em-ployment, including:
the name of the employee and the date employment commenced
the days on which an employee works, if the information is relevant to entitlement or payment under the Holidays Act
the date the employee last became entitled to annual holidays
the employee's current entitlement to sick leave and annual holidays
the dates any annual holiday, sick or bereavement leave was taken
the amount of payment for any annual holidays, sick leave and bereavement leave taken
the dates of and payment for any public holiday worked
the number of hours worked on any public holiday
the date on which the employee became entitled to any alternative holiday
the dates and payment of any public holiday or alternative holiday on which the employee did not work, but for which the employee had an entitlement to payment
the cash value of board and lodgings provided
the cash value of any alternative holidays that the employee has surrendered for payment
the date of termination and the amount of pay for holidays on termination
ORDER NOW… The Restaurant Association’s
Holiday & Leave Record and
Time / Wages record pads
satisfy all these requirements &
are available for just $12.00
(incl of GST and P&P) - order
online through
www.restaurantnz.co.nz.
FEATURED PRODUCT.. .
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, New Year
Goa ls For Smal l Businesses
4 Put Your Customer
First
As a small business owner,
you know you wouldn’t be
anywhere if not for your
customers. As you move into
the new year, put your
customers first in all that you
do. A small business can
stand out in a crowded market
by offering impeccable,
personal, and customer-
centric service.
Treat your customers as
people, not numbers or sales
figures. Listen to your
customer’s needs and bend
over backwards to make them
happy.
5 Set Aside Time for
Yourself
As an entrepreneur, you
probably suffer from little
separation between your
personal and work life. This
year, make a point to set
aside time for yourself each
and every day. Go to the
gym, do something you enjoy
or just turn off your phone
and other devices for a half
hour each day.
It’s important to recharge your
batteries in order to stay
focused and motivated
throughout the year. A
change of scenery can stoke
your creativity. Who knows
what brilliant plan you’ll
dream up when you step
outside your daily grind.
Sticking to a goal is tough for
anyone. The most important
thing is to create realistic ones
that make sense for you and
your business. What are the
goals you’ve set for your
business in the new year?
Nellie Akalp is CEO of CorpNet, Free
guides, advice and videos on small
business legal topics are available at
her Small Biz Corner.
Two
experts
agree!
08 THE THYMES February 2012
B en Gleisner has worked in hospitality for ten years
and had his own place in Dunedin for three years,
so he knows it’s hard work to run a successful business in
the sector.
‘In my experience, adopting environmentally and socially
responsible practices actually improves your bottom line,’
says Ben. Simply put: ‘doing good’ has a triple bottom
line - good for business, good for the environment, good
for your community.
Here are five examples of how ethical business practices
can work for you.
1 Recycling and composting reduces the amount of
waste sent to landfill, while decreasing your waste
disposal costs. It can be up to 10%
cheaper to have your recycling collected,
and composting your organic waste can
halve your waste disposal costs.
2 Buying local, seasonal products reduces food miles
and supports your community’s economy. It also
saves you money. The out-of-season price
of some frequently used fruit and
vegetables can be 5-6 times higher than
the in-season price.
3 Free-range and fair trade products may cost a little
more, but there is a growing market of consumers
who will pay the premium. Between 2010
and 2011 sales in fair trade goods in New
Zealand increased by 24%. It’s easy to see
just by taking a trip to your supermarket
how much more common free-range
products are becoming.
4 Having vegetarian options on your menu reduces
environmental impacts such as water pollution and
land degradation. Vegetarian dishes are
cheaper to make, which means higher profit
margins for your business.
5 You will have more productive and happier staff.
Research in New Zealand and the US has found
that 65% of workers in businesses which voluntarily
adopt “green” practices value that decision, and
the workers are 16% more productive than average!
November 2011 27 international update
The proof is in the pudding: research
from Colmar Brunton indicates that
88% of New Zealand consumers are
influenced by sustainability in their
purchasing decisions.
The challenge for businesses who
adopt sustainable practices is to know
how to promote what they are doing,
and how to ensure their efforts are
recognised and celebrated.
After five years working at the New Zealand Treasury,
Ben recently started as CE of Conscious Consumers, an
accreditation programme for the hospitality sector which
makes it easy for consumers to support ethical and
sustainable businesses.
The programme provides business members with the
latest marketing technologies (including a smartphone
application) and a robust and easy-to-understand
accreditation system. After a successful launch in the café
sector in 2011, the programme is now expanding to the
wider hospitality sector.
The Restaurant Association is working with
Conscious Consumers and encourages members
to become accredited businesses.
Membership is free until April 2013 and $29-$49/month
thereafter – with a 10% discount for all Restaurant
Association members in the monthly fee.
Visit the website, www.consciousconsumers.org.nz, and
join award-winning restaurants such as Pegasus Bay and
Logan Brown by becoming accredited.
DOING GOOD BUSINESS Many hospitality business owners have indicated a goal in 2013 of becoming more environmentally
conscious in their business. However, in a tough market with a glut of choices, being ‘sustainable’ and
‘ethical’ can seem like a waste of time and money. But this is rarely the case...
THE THYMES February 2013 09 business initiatives
SPOTLIGHT ON THE NOURISH GROUP
Still looking for some new year inspiration? We talk to three key players from The Nourish Group, who offer insight and wisdom on how to run a successful hospitality business.
November 2011 27 international update
THE THYMES September 2012 15
business initiatives
SPOTLIGHT ON
ROBBIE J—FOH MANAGER What are the biggest challenges managing hospitality staff? Maintaining the level of professionalism that is expected by our discerning customers. How do you recruit? Is it word of mouth or do you advertise or use a recruitment company? We’ve used all of those methods…word of mouth is always the most effective and we’re lucky; Euro has always been regarded as a good place to work so staff approach us. How do you feel about the 90 day trial period? Great! Because you can never tell in the first instance – prospective staff are always an unknown entity. With Euro there is a lot to take on – and it always takes a while for staff to find their mojo. Staff can’t be expected to reach their full momentum instantly and you can never predict from the initial meeting how they will cope. How do you inspire and retain your staff? Nourish staff are ‘incentivized’…we run a lot of competitions and have ongoing product training. We always try to maintain a fun and happy environment. At the moment we have a great team; really interactive and social. We really try to employ mature staff. When Euro first opened, part of the ideal criteria was that wait staff were over 30 and had a minimum of 6 years floor experience. Do you feel the industry (FOH) is gaining credibility? Absolutely. Finally wait staff are being taken seriously. The ethos is there… to be a professional in the profession of hospitality.
HAYDEN – HEAD CHEF Where have you travelled/worked that has given you the most inspiration? Having the opportunity to work in London as Sous Chef for a Marco Pierre White restaurant, under the guidance of Curtis Stone, was a turning point in reference to products, balance of flavours and how he constructed dishes. This experience has carried me through till now…especially working for Simon Gault, where he expects nothing but the best from his chefs. His passion and vision for the industry, people and products is contagious. What’s the best thing about the NZ industry? The great quality fresh local ingredients we have to use. There are a lot of small companies, often family owned and operated, businesses specialising in their product. I enjoy having a close working relationship with the producers. What can NZ’ers learn from overseas operations/trends? The confidence to not over-complicate dishes, to limit each dish to a couple of key balanced flavours. Do you find that the popularity of reality food/restaurant shows has changed the dynamic in commercial kitchens or changed the type of people that the industry attracts? Yes, and for the better. These shows have given home cooks a lot more confidence to go outside their comfort zone and try new dishes and cooking techniques. Therefore when they go out to eat, they expect more. Which in turn makes us in the industry improve our product and push the boundaries a lot more. The fact that Simon & Euro are very high profile, a lot of customers arrive at the restaurant with very high expectations. The pressure is on us to not only deliver, but exceed expectations. Has kitchen culture changed in recent years? Yes they have become a lot friendlier places. The amount of work and hours hasn’t changed much, but we are getting people from diverse backgrounds adding their experience, which is great. Having said that, people that come in thinking a kitchen is like a TV show are quickly weeded out in a high pressure environment where there is no-where to hide!
RICHARD SIGLEY - OWNER How long has the Nourish Group been operating? What motivated you to make a move to owning restaurants? Nourish has been operating for around 10 years. People always ask, ‘what was your motivation to move?’, which to me is the wrong question as generally once you have decided, the move is easy. The motivation is to fulfill your own promise, to leave a ripple, albeit in a small pond, and maybe, if you are really fortunate, to motivate and inspire others. Did you anticipate the growth of Nourish? Was it always part of a long term plan or did you see a formula that worked and explored it further? Our growth has been fairly organic and not planned. However we have always tried to predict trends and look for gaps within the market that could add value to the on premise market; as category growth is the way forward and everyone prospers. Do you have a marketing ‘plan’ or department or is it on an ‘ad hoc’ basis? How do you feel about social media? We do limited marketing due to Simon <Gault>’s involvement in Masterchef and the awareness/profile we get from this. We do however actively use social media and in-house below-the-line strategies. What is the biggest challenge of the hospitality industry? The biggest challenge, WTF… it's every-thing!! Margin management, staffing, battling retarded local bodies, or the uncontrolled growth of on-premise license proliferation. It's these and more. What do you see as the most common mistake people make when opening a restaurant? What is the best advice you could give to someone buying a restaurant? Personally I think the biggest mistake when opening a new restaurant is thinking ‘because I like the idea, everyone will’ - therefore, ego. The best advice? Take your time, do the research, location, location, location, find a gap in the market or do it better than the competition and get some great people working for you. And you have to love what you do, otherwise what's the point?
Have you deliberately up-skilled in management i.e. undergone additional education, or is it something you’ve learnt as you went along? It’s something that I’ve learnt through trial and error over the years. Definitely something I’ve had to work hard on, finding the best way to run the type of kitchen I want. I’m still learning on a daily basis and the Nourish Group have great systems in place. Manage-ment was not the appeal at all, but as I’ve moved on in the industry it’s become the part of the job I enjoy the most. Mentoring the young ones and watching them develop as chefs.
EMPLOYMENT MATTERS
From one end of the employment relationship (the all important offer of employment), to the other (an unfortunate, and costly, case of unjustified dismissal), we examine some of the latest employment news.
HAVE WE GOT AN OFFER FOR YOU Let’s talk about offer and acceptance etiquette. If you’ve offered a potential candidate
a position with your team, what timeframe do you need to allow for them to accept
your offer of employment?
<date>
Dear <insert name>,
RE: Offer of employment as <insert job title as shown on
job description>
Following your interview on <insert date> I am pleased
to offer you employment in the above position. This offer
is subject to your written acceptance of the terms and
conditions of employment, which are set out in the
attached Employment Agreement and Job Description.
You are entitled to a reasonable opportunity to seek
independent advice about the terms of your employment
and we encourage you to do so.
Please note that you will be required to serve a trial
period of 90 days. The main purpose of the trial period is
to give you an opportunity to establish your suitability for
the job, and to help you become familiar with and
competent in performing the work you have been
appointed to do. This period is itself subject to
termination under the terms of clause three of your
employment agreement.
I hope that you will accept this offer of employment. To
do so, please return the signed agreement by <insert
date>. Our offer will remain open for 7 working days
from the date of this letter. If this is not convenient,
please let us know before the expiry date. If we have
not heard from you by <insert
date>, this offer of employment
will be withdrawn.
If you have any queries, or
if there are any issues that
you wish to raise,
please do not
hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely...
Y ou would hope and expect that your chosen
candidate is excited to be offered employment with
you. However, the decision to accept or decline a job
offer can be challenging, and there are many factors for
a potential employee to consider. It is best for you, and
for them (as well as being law), if they carefully evaluate
all of the terms and conditions on which the offer is made
before accepting the role. Neither of you want to discover
a week later that this wasn’t the best decision for them.
With this in mind employers need to remember that as
with any part of an employment relationship, you must
act as a fair and reasonable employer. Avoid the use of
undue pressure. Allowing someone just one day to accept
the offer is probably not giving them reasonable
opportunity to consider it, but a week is a more
reasonable timeframe.
Put it in writing...
After undertaking the recruitment process and selecting
the chosen candidate an employer should make a formal
offer, set out in writing, advising the conditions of the
offer. You can indicate in the offer of employment how
long the offer will remain open for. At this point also
provide the employee with a copy of the intended
agreement and advise them to seek independent
advice about the terms and conditions
outlined. The employer must require
the employee to sign the agreement or
acknowledge acceptance of the terms
and conditions before the employment
begins.
We’ve put
together a sample
letter of offer
of employment
(right)
THE THYMES February 2013 13 employment matters
employment matters
DISMISSAL OF CHEF “GROSSLY UNJUST”
An Employment Relations Authority (ERA) decision which recently awarded a Christchurch chef nearly $30,000 for unjustified dismissal should come as a wake up call for employers to ensure they follow due process.
He said the authority did not want to condone the
employees behaviour, but thought it was understandable.
"It is hardly surprisingly that she flew off the handle and
behaved as she did. She saw the situation for what it was,
a fait accompli."
The employee was awarded $5000 compensation,
$20,900 for lost wages for the time she was out of work
after her dismissal, and $4000 for her final pay.
THE THYMES November 2012 13
employment update
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS CASE?
Employers can’t use redundancy or restructuring as a ruse
to get rid of a troublesome staff member. If the problem is
behaviour or performance, or other issues, these need to
be addressed seperately.
With any genuine business reason for redundancy the
“reason” must justify the removal of the position. You will
need to provide information about the justification, so
choose your rationale carefully.
A fair process (consultation) must also take place when
considering a restructuring
- provide information about the proposal prior to a
meeting
- allow employee’s feedback
- consider alternatives to redundancy
- make decision
The process an employer must undertaken to manage
performance and behavioural issues is outlined in the
Restaurant Association’s employment guideline:
“guidelines to disciplining and dismissing employees”.
We also advise that you seek advice and consult with the
Restaurant Association on any redundancy situations
through our 24/7 HELP LINE on 0800 737 827 .
A s observed with this case, the monetary exposure for
unjustified dismissal can be substantial and for a
small business even crippling. The compensation was
awarded after the chef’s employer mismanaged the
restructuring process that disestablished her role.
The employee was called to a meeting in October 2011
where she was told her position was being merged with
another, and one person would be made redundant. The
business said this was because of financial difficulties.
The employee allegedly became belligerent and verbally
cursed and attacked her employer and called the
presentation a "f****** ruse".
The employer’s lawyer advised him to suspend the chef
on pay. During that weekend, the employee attempted to
contact her employer several times by phone and email.
He claimed he was harassed by the employee so much
that he eventually issued a trespass notice and
considered involving the police.
The employee never returned to work and regarded
herself as being unjustifiably dismissed. Employment
Relations Authority member James Crichton said he had
no hesitation concluding that she was.
In his ruling, Crichton said: "The authority is persuaded
that by the time of the termination of the relationship, the
predominant motive for its end was not the redundancy at
all but the various concerns (the employer) had about
(the employee’s) behaviour."
Had this been a genuine restructuring situation the
employer had an obligation to enter into a robust
and genuine process of consultation. This did not happen
and as a consequence the employer failed
absolutely in their obligations to undertake
a fair and just process in accordance
with New Zealand law.
employment matters
A n employer has to pay more than
$46,000 in a decision handed down
by the Employment Relations Authority, after
charging a migrant worker to work at a
restaurant, and paying him only five times
during his eight months of employment.
It's the latest case to have found in favour of
migrant workers who are being paid less
than the minimum wage, and are paying
fees to secure a job. Employment advocate
May Moncur, who represented the
employee in this case, predicted the
practice would continue because migrant
workers were scared to speak out.
Harbit International was ordered to pay
migrant Hong Zhou $32,328 in unpaid
wages, holiday pay, lost remuneration,
distress compensation and the illegal
employment premium it received from him.
It also had to pay another $14,000 in fines
for other breaches on the employment
relations act.
In June 2011 Zhou took a chef job he saw
advertised on a Chinese website. But when
he was offered the job Ying Hui Zheng, one
of the business’ advisors, asked Zhou to
give him $8000 "to help with the business".
The sole director, Ben Wong, then asked
for another $5000 as the business was
facing hard trading conditions.
Zhou felt Wong had indicated he could lose
his job and his work visa could be affected
if he did not pay, so he handed over both
large sums. He was then not paid wages for
the first three months of his employment,
and in the following months he received
only five wage payments.
In February 2012 Zhou was told to take
some time off and not return to work until
further notice. When he went back to the
premises, after not hearing anything, he
found the business had closed down.
This was not the first case of its kind and at
least three more cases with allegations of
employers exploiting migrant employees on
temporary visas are before the authority.
David Milne, acting northern labour
inspector manager of the Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment, said
the Ministry was aware that such cases were
occurring, and it had a programme
underway in the hospitality sector,
particularly focusing on Chinese employers.
It had also been working with Immigration
New Zealand compliance officers and
visiting businesses to determine whether
there are any non-compliance issues.
Action would be taken for non-compliance,
ranging from substantial fines to
"significant" jail terms, said Milne.
EMPLOYEE PAYS $13,000 FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF WORK
WHEN CASUAL BECOMES PERMANENT Our HELP LINE has assisted with a
number of situations recently where
employers have been caught out by
not taking care to conduct disciplinary
process procedurally carefully
because they considered the
employee in question was a “casual”.
The first flaw in this is that casuals are still
defined as employees for the purposes of
the Employment Relations Act and as such
have access to the personal grievance
and disputes provisions that Act contains.
You shouldn’t treat them differently to
your permanent staff.
The second mistake is that although some
hospitality businesses do legitimately have
a selection of casual employees, more
often than not in the cases that we assist
with these “casuals” are more accurately
permanent “part-time” employees.
Casual employment can be defined as
where an employee is employed when
and if needed, where there is no
particular expectation of continuing
employment. The employee may refuse
the shift if they are not available. True
casuals usually form part of a group of
employees upon whom the employer can
call – to help out on a busy night, to as-
sist at a function, or to fill in for a sick
employee.
Let us make this clear, someone who
works one shift per week (and that day
may vary from week to week) would be
considered a permanent part-time
employee. Not a casual employee.
As there are differences between leave
and other entitlements for casual and
part-time employees it is important to
get an employee’s employment status
right and we encourage you to seek
advice from the Association. Phone our
24/7 HELP LINE on 0800 737 827.
Unfortunately this recent employment authority case simply serves to highlight just how bad some employers are...
THE THYMES February 2013 15 employment matters
November 2011 14 managing your business
ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES ENTITLED TO WORK HERE?
N ew Zealand and Australian citizens and residents are
entitled to work in New Zealand. But there are a
number of ways by which citizens and residents of other
nationalities can become entitled to work in New
Zealand. Below we have set out some useful information
to help you navigate the Immigration Act requirements.
Skilled Migrant Category criteria
Skilled employment is work that uses specialist, technical
or management expertise, gained through either relevant
qualifications or previous work experience.
Workers who apply under this category are allocated
points based on a range of criteria, but most importantly,
the offer of work in skilled employment. They then go
into a ‘pool’ where they are ranked alongside others in
this category. Applicants are then selected by the
Minister of Immigration and are invited to apply for
residency. Having obtained residency they are entitled to
work in New Zealand.
Talent work visas
These are appropriate for people who have a job offer
from an accredited employer, a job offer in an
occupation on the Long Term Skill Shortage List or an
exceptional talent in the arts, culture or sport. People
who obtain visas in this category may apply for residence
after working for two years in New Zealand.
Essential Skills work visas
Where an employer is unable to find suitable workers in
New Zealand and no New Zealanders can be readily
trained for the work, an employer may be able to employ
an oversees employee through the Essential Skills work
visa. The work the oversees employee will do must be
necessary to the employer.
In addition, the employer must be able to demonstrate
that they cannot find appropriately skilled or qualified
New Zealand workers and that they have made genuine
attempts to attract and to recruit New Zealand workers.
INZ will carry out a labour market test to confirm this.
The hospitality industry is a hotpot of different workers from different countries and nationalities.
However, ensuring compliance with the Immigration Act 2009 can be a minefield for
employers looking to hire a new employee. When recruiting or hiring a new employee,
employers must take active steps to ensure that the person is entitled to work in New Zealand,
before they are employed. It is an offence to allow or to continue to allow someone to work for
you who is not entitled to do so. BY ASHLEY AYTON, Solicitor, Hesketh Henry
legal viewpoint
Specific purpose visas
Specific purpose visas are appropriate for those who
need to hire someone for a specific purpose or event.
There must be proof that the employee is required for the
specific purpose and of the employee’s ability and
experience to do the job. INZ must be satisfied that there
are no New Zealanders able to do the job.
Students
Students studying in New Zealand may be entitled to
work visas to allow them to undertake work for up to 20
hours per week required to be undertaken to complete
their course.
Having completed their course, students may be entitled
to apply for a work visa, if necessary, to fulfil practical
training requirements. Alternatively, they may apply for a
work visa if they have completed a qualification in New
Zealand of no less than three years’ duration, or have a
qualification that would have earned them points under
the Skilled Migrant Category criteria.
Working holidays
New Zealand has reciprocal agreements in place with a
number of countries to allow persons aged between 18
and 30 years old to work temporarily while on holiday in
New Zealand. The jobs cannot be permanent, but
employees may have several different jobs while in New
Zealand.
CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE
16 THE THYMES February 2012 member benefits
industry sales report
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Are your employees
entitled to work here?
How do you find out if a person is
entitled to work in New Zealand?
There are several steps employers can
take to ascertain whether a prospective
employee is entitled to work for them.
In respect of New Zealand citizens, INZ
recommends that the employer sight the
employee’s passport, sight their birth
certificate and some form of photo
identification or sight a certificate of
New Zealand citizenship and photo
identification.
In the case of a non-New Zealand
citizen’s work entitlement, INZ
recommends sighting the person’s
passport to confirm their residence class
visa or their work visa and its conditions,
sighting their Australian passport or
sighting their Australian permanent
residence visa or a current returning
resident’s visa.
Alternatively, registered employers can
check a prospective employee’s work
entitlement using INZ’s VisaView
programme, which can be accessed at
www.immigration.govt.nz/visaview.
Employers should take careful note of
the person’s visa conditions. Where
conditions cannot be met, the employer
should not employ the person, unless
and until the person obtains a variation
to their visa conditions or, if necessary,
obtains a new visa.
2011 statistics showed there were more
than 7,000 restaurants and cafés in New
Zealand and just over 1,600 bars, pubs
and taverns. On average each of these
businesses requires at least one senior
manager, even if there is an owner/
operator actively working in the business.
Larger businesses, naturally, require two or
more managers.
While our industry are committed to
developing, training and promoting from
within as well as incentivising staff to stay
by providing additional benefits, it has not
been enough to stem the rising tide of
shortages.
The Restaurant Association has also played
a role to assist with training; since 2006,
we have run professional development
programmes for the industry ranging from
induction workshops for front-of-house staff
through to emerging and first time manager
workshops.
Despite the efforts of business owners and
the Restaurant Association, there is strong
evidence of continuing difficulties in
recruiting for these positions. An informal
survey of Restaurant Association members
found that 90% of respondents reported an
unacceptable level of difficulty in recruiting
for these positions.
Tourism is major export earner and food
and culture is a key part of a tourist’s
experience in New Zealand. We can be
proud of our hospitality sector, but we need
to do all we can to ensure it remains strong.
Removing café and restaurant managers
from the list in twelve months will do our
industry no favours.
YEAR LONG REPRIEVE FOR MANAGERS immigration make decision on skill shortages
T he Association will continue to apply
pressure to ensure these positions
remain on the Essential Skills list until the
shortage has been solved. Despite the
highest unemployment figure in more than
a decade, our sector is facing a critical
shortage of skilled managers, with many
businesses struggling to find suitable
candidates and positions remaining vacant.
With our industry losing skilled workers to
Australia and others leaving the sector,
removing these key roles from the Essential
Skills list and preventing businesses from
recruiting offshore is a move that will hurt
the hospitality sector and New Zealand.
We have spoken to a number of our
members about this matter. Jodie
Cameron, HR and Training manager for
Barworks, a company with 19 venues in
Auckland and Christchurch says her
company – despite investing in in-house
training and internal promotions – still finds
recruiting for these roles very difficult.
Michael Turner, restaurateur from
Christchurch, says that his city has lost a
generation of hospitality workers. Prior to
the earthquake his business employed 32
staff. Within a fortnight of the February
2011 quake all but five had left the city and
none have returned. Eighteen months later,
Café Valentino has reopened, but due to
staff shortages, Turner has had to reduce
opening hours.
Despite the sluggish economy, the
hospitality sector is growing, with more than
200 new businesses opening up. This
organic growth, plus people leaving the
industry, has created a severe, widespread
shortage of skilled staff.
The Restaurant Association has scored a small victory after successfully arguing
that café, bar and restaurant manager positions should remain on Immigration
New Zealand’s Essential Skills in Demand list. However they have recommended
that it remain there for only another 12 months and I doubt this is enough time
to solve a nationwide shortage of skilled workers. BY MARISA BIDOIS
ceo’s update
About the author This article was written by Ashley Ayton, Solicitor at Hesketh Henry email: [email protected]
THE THYMES February 2013 17
rent
We received this query from a café owner member who was
undergoing a rent review...
wage costs…
O ur wage costs seem to be creeping up at the
moment and I suspect that
the target of years past with
regards to labour costs no
longer apply.
Can you let me know what my
wage costs should be?
Restaurateur, Auckland
Our partners, Grant Thornton also assisted with this query for us:
T his is an indicative % of Direct Wages / Sales
(being all wages baring the
office and shareholders):
Restaurants 29%-33%
Pubs & Bars
(little or no food) 15% -
24%
Pubs & Bars
(with significant food,
say more than 25%)22% -
28%
There is quite a wide range
at present based on
turnover. Going back 5 years
the %’s of wage cost to
sales would have been about
2% less.
The wage costs are quite
fixed in some cases up to a
certain level of
turnover as there
is a base
level
required –
particularly
when you’re
running a
kitchen.
Have you got something to say?
We welcome your feedback and
comments: by email to
or by post to PO Box 8287,
Symonds Street. Auckland.
HAVE YOUR SAY
W e are about to go into a new round of rent
negotiations with a new
landlord.
A statistic I would really
like to have at my disposal is
the average, or suggested
ratio, of ‘rent to customers
served’.
For example I have our rental
(excluding opex, marketing &
gst) and have calculated an
average customer count per 30
day month. Then I can
calculate the ratio of rent
divided by the number of
customers to get a dollar
figure of ‘rent per customer’
per month.
Are you able to assist with
this query?
Our partners, Grant Thornton, answered this query for us:
T o be honest it is not something we track as you
can’t benchmark that measure
across customers – it is too
variable depending on the make
up of the business.
Obviously cafes with lower
income per customer will need
a lower rent per customer than
a high end restaurant.
As a bench mark:
Rent and rates as a % sales
for the best bars is around
5-6% (the average is
probably 9- 10%)
Rent and rates as a % sales
for the best restaurants is
around 7-9% (the average is
probably 12- 14%)
Cafes tend to have the
highest % of rent vs sales.
Going back 5 years the rent
used to be a lot lower as a %
of sales (anecdotally 3-4%
less).
Through the recession, with
sales declining and rent costs
remaining static, or edging
up, the cost of rent as a %
sales has risen dramatically
and that comes straight off
the bottom line.
The same can be said for most
fixed costs.
STOP PRESS! Dates confirmed for the 21st NZ Culinary Fare
17th—19th August, 2013 Details coming soon...
18 THE THYMES February 2012 member viewpoint
THE SERGEANT MAJOR’S RUDE PARROT STORY...
This amusing short story takes a look at different management styles...
A retired sergeant major inherited a talking parrot
from a recently departed relative who had run a
busy dockside pub. For the first few days in his new
home the normally talkative parrot was distinctly shy.
The old major, despite his stern and disciplined ways,
felt sorry for the bird, and gently encouraged it with
soft words and pieces of fruit. After a week or so the
parrot began to find its voice - a little at first - and
then more so.
Responding to the kind treatment, the parrot's vocabulary continued to
recover, including particularly the many colourful expressions it had been
taught in the dockside pub. The old sergeant major began to be quite
irritated by the parrot's incessant rudeness, and after a few more days of
worsening profanities, decided action was required to bring the bird under
control.
The sergeant major tried at first to incentivise the parrot with the promise of reward for
good behaviour, but to no avail. He next tried to teach the bird a lesson by withdrawing its
privileges, again to no avail; the parrot remained stubbornly rude. Finally the old major
flipped into battleground management mode; he grabbed the bird, clamped his hands
around its beak, and thrust the struggling, swearing parrot, into the top drawer of the freezer,
slamming the door tightly shut.
The swearing and struggling noises continued inside the freezer for a few seconds and then
abruptly stopped. The sergeant major listened for a while and then, concerned that the
parrot's shock might have been terminal, carefully opened the freezer door and opened the
drawer to look. The parrot slowly clambered out of the drawer and perched on its edge.
"I must apologise for my rude and disrespectful behaviour," said the parrot,
"I promise never to use bad language again. And by the way, what did the
turkey do?".
CHANGES TO KIWISAVER FROM 1APRIL
From 1 April 2013, the
following changes may affect
your payroll calculations and
the details you enter on your
employer monthly schedule
(EMS).
KiwiSaver contributions
change:
The minimum contribution rate for
employers and employees will
change from 2% to 3% of gross
salary or wages from the first pay
period commencing on or after 1
April 2013. The rate change will
also apply to employees with a
complying fund.
If advised by your employee or
Inland Revenue, you will also need
to deduct KiwiSaver employee
contributions for existing KiwiSaver
members under 18 years of age.
You don't need to make employer
contributions. New employees
under 18 are not subject to
automatic enrolment.
PAYE FOR KIDS
If you pay salary/wages or
scheduler payments to primary and
secondary school children, you
must deduct tax and record them
on your EMS from 1 April 2013.
You can continue to either deduct
a reduced PAYE rate or exclude
children from your EMS until the
end of the tax year (31 March
2013).
A limited exemption will be
introduced for children
undertaking certain types of work.
However, this exemption will not
apply to children who have source
deductions (eg, PAYE) made from
their payments.
THE THYMES February 2013 19 employment matters
WHAT’S ON! What’s On ...FEBRUARY-APRIL
FEBRUARY
06
Waitangi Day (national public holiday)
09
Marlborough Food and Wine Festival, Blenheim
www.marlboroughwinefestival.co.nz
12
Restaurant Association Auckland Branch Golf
Day, Muriwai Golf Course
www.restaurantnz.co.nz
13
-15 9th Annual Syrah Workshop @ Bayview
Chateau Tongariro
www.syrahworkshop.co.nz
14
Valentines Day
14
Scallop season ends (central and south east
areas)
16
-18 More FM Devonport Food and Wine Festival,
Auckland
www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz
23
The Great Kiwi Beer Festival, Hagley Park,
Christchurch
www.greatkiwibeerfesitval.co.nz
MARCH
01
-17 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival,
Melbourne. Australia
www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
01
Bluff oyster season opens
05
Restaurant Association Front of House Induction Workshop @ taste, Mt
Eden, Auckland 10am-12pm
www.restaurantnz.co.nz
06
-10 Ellerslie International
Flower Show, Christchurch
www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz
11
Taranaki Anniversary Day (regional public holiday)
15
Feijoa season! (main supplies from now
until June)
17
St Patricks Day
18
Restaurant Association national webinar
“Employment mistakes to avoid”, presented by
Alison Maelzer
www.restaurantnz.co.nz
23
Sydney International Wine Competition top 100 exhibition, Sydney.
Australia
www.top100wines.com
25
Otago Anniversary Day (regional public holiday)
26
Restaurant Association professional development
Emerging Managers, presented by Krishna
Botica @ taste, Mt Eden
www.restaurantnz.co.nz
29
Good Friday (national public holiday)
31
Scallop season ends (Auckland / Kermadec
areas)
APRIL
01
Easter Monday (national public holiday)
03
Restaurant Association national webinar
“Embracing Social Media”, presented by
Eva-Maria
www.restaurantnz.co.nz
14
-16 Fine Food Western Australia, Perth. Australia
www.finefoodwesternaustralia.com.au
16
Restaurant Association professional development “Finding Money In Your
Trash”, presented by Stephen Thompson @
taste www.restaurantnz.co.nz
20
-21 Food and Wine Expo, Auckland
www.foodandwineexpo.co.nz
20
School Holidays start
20 THE THYMES February 2012 events—national & international
PREPARING FOR THE NEW
ALCOHOL RULES
To assist operators to prepare for the new rules around the sale and supply of alcohol we look at some of the key implications for businesses over the coming months.
need help? call us on 0800 737 827 November 2011 10
C hanges to the sale and supply of
alcohol in New Zealand are
underway after legislation reforming
New Zealand’s alcohol laws was
passed into law by Parliament at the
end of December. The new Act, the
Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act,
replaces the Sale of Liquor Act in
stages. Most of the changes come into
effect on 18 June 2013 and (the
majority) on 18 December 2013.
WHAT’S NEW?
A new Alcohol Regulatory and
Licensing Authority (“ARLA”)
The ARLA has already replaced the
Liquor Licensing Authority. During the
first 12 months ARLA will consider all
contested licensing applications and
managers certificates, while district
licensing agencies will continue to
consider all uncontested applications.
Draft local alcohol policies (LAPs)
The new Act allows territorial
authorities to develop local alcohol
policies (LAPs), which can come into
effect after 18 December 2013.
Through local alcohol policies,
communities will be able to:
restrict or extend the maximum
opening hours outlined in the Act
(8am - 4am for pubs and
restaurants, and 7am – 11pm for
bottle stores and supermarkets)
limit the location of licences in
relation to broad areas or facilities
of particular kinds, such as schools
or churches
limit the density of licences by
specifying whether further licences
or types of licences should be
issued for a particular area
impose conditions on licences,
such as a one-way door condition
that would allow patrons to leave
the premises but not enter or
re-enter after a certain time.
If a territorial authority wants to
develop a LAP it can take the following
steps before 18 December 2013:
1. develop a draft LAP in consultation
with Police, licensing inspectors and
Medical Officers of Health
2. consult the community on the draft
policy
3. prepare a provisional policy based
on consultation feedback.
A territorial authority cannot adopt the
provisional policy until after 18
December 2013, when regulations
governing public notice requirements
and the appeal process take effect.
KEY DATE: 18 June 2013
KEY IMPACTS ARE AROUND APPLYING
FOR A NEW LICENCE
If you are applying for a new licence,
or renewing your licence, before 18
June 2013, applications will be
considered under the old Sale of Liquor
Act. For new licence applications filed
during this period, only interim licences
can be issued. See the sidebar right for
more information on interim licences.
As at 18 June 2013 the criteria in the
new Act come into effect. These
expand the current criteria to include:
the object of the Act eg, whether
the licence is likely to increase
alcohol-related harm
whether granting the licence will
negatively impact the community
and neighbourhood.
So, new applications filed in the transi-
tion period between 18 June 2013 and
18 December 2013 will be
considered under the old Act, but
using the broader criteria in the new
Act. Applications filed after 18
December will be subject to the new
Act.
Managers certificates remain largely
unchanged, except that a person
must be over 20 years to be a
manager. New applications or
renewals filed for managers
certificates prior to 18 December will
be considered under the old Act.
CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE
WHAT IS AN INTERIM LICENCE?
An interim licence is a temporary licence that
may be granted to people who apply for a new
licence (except for special licences) between
19 December 2012 and 18 June 2013.
During this time, the criteria in the old Act, the
Sale of Liquor Act 1989, are still in effect.
An interim licence will only last for one year. If
the holder wants to continue selling alcohol,
they will have to apply for a new licence under
the criteria of the new Act before the interim
licence expires. There is no guarantee the
holder of an interim licence will be granted a
new licence under the broader criteria of the
new Act just because they have held an interim
licence.
Interim licences will affect all new licence
applications between the set time period. This
includes people who apply for a new licence
for existing premises (eg, if a bar has a new
owner who is applying for a licence). The new
Act’s criteria will be used to decide
applications received after 18 June 2013.
Interim licences will not affect current licence
holders or licence renewals.
What should applicants do?
If you are applying for a new licence between
19 December 2012 and 18 June 2013 you
have two options:
1 Defer the application until 18 June 2013
If you choose this option you will need to
notify your district licensing agency that you
would like to defer your application. You will
not be able to sell alcohol in the meantime.
The district licensing agency will hear your
application after 18 June 2013. The new Act’s
criteria and grounds for public objection will
apply. If you are granted a licence, it will last
for one year and can be renewed for up to
three years.
OR
2 Continue the application
The district licensing agency will hear your
application under the criteria of the old
Act. If your licence is granted, it will be an
interim licence that expires after 12 months.
The costs of applying are the same regardless
of which option you choose.
THE THYMES February 2013 23 legislation update
need help? call us on 0800 737 827 November 2011 10
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE,
Preparing for the new alcohol rules
KEY DATE: 18 December 2013 KEY IMPACTS ARE AROUND TRADING
HOURS & LOCAL ALCOHOL POLICIES:
1 Maximum trading hours
National maximum trading hours apply
from 18 December 2013. These are:
8am - 4am for on-licences
7am – 11pm for off-licences.
Premises that currently open for longer
hours will have to comply with the
maximum trading hours from this date.
Premises with shorter hours will
continue to operate to the hours of
their licence. Note that the council can
alter these hours though a Local
Alcohol Policy, but until the Policy has
been adopted, those hours will apply
to all licences.
2 Local alcohol policies (LAPs)
Local alcohol policies can be adopted
from 18 December 2013.
3 District Licensing Committees
The existing district licensing agencies
are to be replaced by district licensing
committees (DLCs) on 18 December
2013. DLCs will be responsible for all
licensing, including contested
applications. ARLA will deal primarily
with appeals and enforcement.
4 Applying for a licence after 18
December 2013
Any application filed after 18
December 2013 will be subject to the
new Act.
5 Applying for a manager’s certificate
after 18 December 2013
The new Act applies to all managers
certificates filed after 18 December.
Under the new Act, a person must be
20 years or older to be a manager,
and there is no longer a separate club
managers certificate. All managers will
have the same certificate.
6 New requirements for licensees and
managers
From 18 December 2013, on-licences
will have to supply or make available
water, low-alcohol beverages, food
and information about safe transport.
A range of other conditions can also
be imposed by the district licensing
committee.
7 Supplying alcohol to young people
The purchase age remains at 18 years.
From 18 December 2013 a person
can only supply alcohol to a person
under the age of 18 years if:
they are the parent or guardian of
the minor; OR
they have express consent from the
parent or guardian; OR
the young person is married, in a
civil union or living with a de facto
partner.
Anyone who supplies alcohol to a
person under the age of 18 years must
do so responsibly. The penalty for
failing to do so is a fine of up to
$2,000.
8 Offences: irresponsible advertising
and promotions
The following types of promotions are
offences under the new Act:
promoting excessive drinking
promoting alcohol in a way that
has special appeal to minors
advertising free alcohol or
discounts of 25 percent or more
offering free goods or services with
the purchase of alcohol.
9 Repeat offending by managers and
licensees
A three strikes rule will now apply.
Licences and managers certificates can
be cancelled for five years if the
manager or licensee has committed
any specified offences three times
within three years.
The Association will keep you informed
on any other important updates. Our
major concern is that the fee structure
is set to increase, with councils likely to
propose a move to a new risk based
system.
September 2011 23 November 2011 24
The Restaurant Association
has a range of signage and
resources related to the sale
and supply of alcohol which
are available to members.
Sale of liquor signage comes in an
attractive gold or silver brushed metal
finish and comes ready to be affixed to
the wall.
Choose from:
Trading Hours / Duty Manager signage
Responsible Host signage
Evidence of Age signage
Liquor supply statutory notice
(Restricted, Supervised or Undesignated
available)
Also available:
Restaurant Association business
resources: Developing a host
responsibility policy (guideline and
sample policy) - FREE of charge
ORDER NOW…
The Restaurant Association’s sale of liquor
signage is available from just $34.75 (incl
of GST and P&P) - order online through
www.restaurantnz.co.nz or call
0800 737 827.
The Restaurant Association appreciates that hospitality is a 24/7 industry and as a result employment issues can occur at a variety of times. A reminder that we have a HELP DESK, capably managed in-house by CEO, Marisa Bidois, which is contactable Monday to Friday 8.00am-6.00pm on
0800 737 827 and outside these hours on 027-559 7777. The service is for members with urgent employment problems..
Help is never far away!
Sale of Liquor Signage
FEATURED PRODUCT.. .
24 THE THYMES February 2012
Apparently, too many people are taking photos of their
food with smartphones or other cameras, to post them
online, and it's ruining the ambiance and dining experience
for others. The New York Times listed several restaurants in
New York City and others in the United Kingdom, Australia
and Canada.
A restaurant in Brooklyn is among the restaurants banning
photos, with the owner telling the Times that photo-taking
was not only distracting other customers, but also the chef
(!?)
What do you think? While we can understand that flash
photography and a giant SLR camera in a small intimate
restaurant may not be appropriate, we can’t see the harm
in general in customers sharing their dining experiences.
We put it to you in a post on Facebook this week and
enjoyed some of the feedback:
“The chef being distracted by people taking pics of the
food? Chefs should be flattered, I know I would be. As for
the flash being annoying to fellow
diners, you could say the same thing
about the business man at the bar
trying to chat up a young waitress, or
the lady with the loud laugh, or the
"finger-snapper" vying for attention.”
DINING WITH MAN’S BEST FRIEND Hospitality operators may soon be able
to decide whether dogs are allowed on
their premises.
C urrently the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 say
that “no animal is permitted” on premises where
food is prepared or sold however the proposal to change
that is part of the Food Bill which is now before
Parliament.
Primary Industries Minister, David Carter, said the bill
would require operators to take responsibility for food
safety in a way that was appropriate for their businesses.
“Obviously they will need to keep unwanted animals out
of their restaurants, and especially the kitchens and food-
handling areas, but in many cases there will be little risk
to food safety if, for example, pet dogs are allowed into
outdoor dining areas.”
Certainly there will be some challenges involved. A
Facebook poll conducted by the Association found a
mixed response to the proposals which will work for
some types of businesses, but not all. Concerns were
raised over handling “unruly” dogs and there is some
disquiet over safe hygiene practices.
Businesses won't have to accept dogs in their premises.
However, some businesses may find there's a niche in
their market for their customers' four-legged friends. As
one member commented online: “This is a huge
opportunity to market to a solid niche with a high
discretionary income. Dog people to meet up with like
minded souls. Like it, hope it passes.”
...BUT CAMERA’S NOT WELCOME
Meanwhile, The New York Times recently
reported that some chefs are now banning
patrons from taking photos of their food, or have
instituted a no-flash policy.
THE THYMES February 2013 03
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legislation update
WHO CAN ENTER A BUSINESS
ON BUSINESS?
We understand that representatives from the IRD are presently visiting hospitality businesses on unexpected visits. It prompts the question, who can come into your workplace, what are they entitled to do and do they need your consent?
November 2011 14 managing your business
W e hear a lot about employee rights these days, but
let’s focus on a business owners rights? Here is an
outline of some of the people or organisations that have
a right to “visit”.
1 IRD Investigator
An Inland Revenue audit is an examination of your
financial affairs to check you have paid the correct
amount of tax and you are complying with the tax laws.
It might simply be a check of a GST registration, or it
could be a full examination of business and personal
records. You can expect the IRD to give you reasonable
warning of an audit. However, they will sometimes make
an unannounced visit and if they do you are required by
law to let the investigator into your business premises.
All investigators carry identification showing their name
and photograph, and stating their legal authority to check
your records. You can ask to see this at any time, and we
recommend that you do so before you give them any
information.
You can have someone with you at an interview, or at any
other time during an audit. This might be your tax agent,
solicitor or a friend. But you will need to provide written
authority before an investigator can discuss your tax
affairs with another person present.
The penalties for obstructing the IRD in carrying out its
lawful duties are up to $25,000 for the first offence or
$50,000 for subsequent offences.
2 Environmental Health Officer – Local Council
With the advent of food safety plans it is now
customary for the Council’s Environmental Health Officer
(EHO) to make an appointment to meet with you to
discuss food safety in your business. They will normally
come once a year and inspect the premises – this
appointment can take up to 3 to 4 hours and will include
them talking to various staff members while on site.
An EHO will also need to come and inspect your business
prior to granting your food licence for a new business.
3 DLA Inspector (sale of liquor act)
Under the Sale of Liquor Act Section 131 an inspector
may at any reasonable time enter and inspect a licensed
premises to ascertain whether the licensee or any
manager is complying with the conditions of the licence.
Any inspector who enters your premises needs to:
carry a warrant of authority and evidence of identity, and
produce those documents either when first entering the
licensed premises or at any subsequent time if requested
by the manager or the licensee (or by any person
appearing to be in charge).
3 Police (sale of liquor act)
Under the Sale of Liquor Act Section 175 any
member of the Police may at any reasonable time enter
and inspect any licensed premises to ascertain whether
the licensee is complying with the provisions of the Sale
of Liquor Act and the conditions of the licence.
The Police may also enter at any time when they have
reasonable grounds to believe that an offence against the
Sale of Liquor Act is being committed.
In addition a District Court Judge, Justice or Community
Magistrate may issue a search warrant if it believes that
any liquor is being sold, or exposed or kept for sale, on
any premises in which that liquor may not lawfully be sold,
exposed or kept for sale; or any premises is being kept or
used as a place of resort for the consumption of liquor in
contravention of the Act.
This authorizes the Police (and anyone they call to assist
them) to enter the premises on one occasion within 14
days of the warrant issue, at a time that is reasonable, in a
search pertaining to the conditions of the warrant.
They are required to carry the warrant with them, and
shall produce it for inspection when first entering the
licensed premises or at any subsequent time if requested. CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE
TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR AN AUDIT
1. Register for all the taxes that apply to you (eg, income tax, GST, PAYE).
2. Make sure you’re up-to-date with filing your returns and paying your
taxes.
3. Confirm that you’re paying tax on all your income, including income
received in cash.
4. If you’ve paid expenses “out of the till” or out of cash takings, don’t
forget to add the expenses back when you’re calculating your income
for the day.
5. Test that there’s a clear trail from the figures in your tax returns to your
invoices, receipts and bank records, so you can readily prove your
figures are accurate.
6. Check that you’re claiming only business-related expenses.
7. Make sure you’re accounting for private use of business assets and
expenses (are you making private use adjustments or paying FBT?).
8. Confirm your logbook is up-to-date if you’re making private use
adjustments for a motor vehicle.
9. Tell us if you’ve filed an incorrect return before the IRD find out about
it—a “voluntary disclosure” will probably save you money.
10. If you’re unsure about anything, talk to your tax agent or call the IRD.
For more information, go to www.ird.govt.nz and click on “Audits”.
THE THYMES February 2013 27 business guidance
November 2011 14 managing your business
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Who can v is i t your business?
4 Health and Safety Inspectors
Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992,
any inspector may at any reasonable time enter any place
of work and
conduct examinations, tests, enquiries, inspections
be accompanied and assisted by any other people
and bring into the place of work any equipment
necessary
take photographs and measurements, make sketches
and recordings
request that a place of work that is to be inspected is
not disturbed for a reasonable period of time
require the employer to produce documents or
information relating to the place of work or the
investigation
require the employer, or any other person who is in
control of the place of work, to provide about
conditions, materials, or equipment that affect the
health or safety of employees who work there
4 Landlord or Landlord’s representative
Under a commercial lease there is no specified notice
period that a landlord must give prior to coming on to
the property, but for the purposes of “inspection” they will
generally be guided by the Residential Tenancy Act which
requires 48 hours notice to be given to a tenant, unless in
the case of an emergency or to carry out repairs.
However, your “Deed of Lease” does cover off some
points as noted below (as outlined in the Auckland Law
Society Deed of Lease):
Section 13.1 – Landlord’s Right of Inspection
The Landlord and the Landlord’s employees, contractors
and invitees may at all reasonable times enter the
premises to view their condition.
Section 15.1 – Access for Repairs
The tenants shall permit the Landlord and the Landlord’s
employees and contractors at all reasonable times to
enter the premises to carry out repairs to the premises or
adjacent premises and to install, inspect, repair, renew
and replace any services where they are not the
responsibility of the tenant. All such repairs, inspections
and work to be carried out with the least possible
inconvenience to the Tenant.
Section 32.1 – Quiet Enjoyment
The tenant paying the rent and performing and observing
all the covenants and agreements herein expressed and
implied shall quietly hold and enjoy the premises
throughout the term without an interruption by the
Landlord or any person claiming under the Landlord.
A TASTE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Restaurant Association’s regular professional development
workshops provide essential updates on the huge range of issues
that affect both owners and staff in the hospitality industry.
C heck out the latest calendar, which is included with this issue of THE
Thymes. Subjects include ways to minimize your food costs, effective
marketing strategies that work for restaurants, staff training, recruitment
and retention and updates on legislative changes. The workshops are
presented by people who are active in the industry and generously share
their experiences, techniques and systems that do, or don’t, work for
them.
Investing in staff training reminds your employees how valued and
important their contribution is to the business. And if one staff member
comes back to work with renewed enthusiasm and morale it will generally
pay back the money invested tenfold. Even for those that have spent
years in the industry, new ideas and perspective can be inspiring.
For those unable to travel to taste in Auckland to attend workshops our
webinar series ensures that important information is available to everyone
regardless of location. Webinars will still allow attendees to ask lots of
questions and engage with presenters, and a recorded version will be
available to attendees.
More information is available online at www.restaurantnz.co.nz or to
book phone 0800 737 827, or email [email protected].
28 THE THYMES February 2012 business guidance
we would like to welcome the following new members of the restaurant association who have recently joined us:
you have joined the only organisation that exclusively assists you to safeguard the viability of your café or restaurant. We will help guide you through the regulatory minefield that exists in today’s business environment. You have joined 1700 of New Zealand’s most dynamic and profitable hospitality businesses.
Artisan by Rangiora Bakery, Rangiora
Baha Original Korean Restaurant, Auckland
Base Auckland, Auckland
Bel Aire Tavern, Nelson
Bolero Tapas Bar, Auckland
Burger Fresh, Auckland
Burger Fuel Mission Bay, AUCKLAND
Burgers and Beers Cranford Street, Christchurch
Burgers and Beers Colombo Street, Christchurch
Cafe Ahuriri, Napier
Caffe Massimo Albany, Auckland
Caffe Massimo Newmarket, Auckland
Capers Café, Rotorua
Casablanca Caffe, Auckland
China Café, Auckland
China Restaurant, Auckland
Chocolate Brown, Warkworth
Columbus Coffee - Air NZ
Columbus Coffee - Lincoln Road, Auckland
Columbus Coffee Mega Cafe - Lunn Ave, Auckland
Corogate Café, Thames
Eden Garden Café, Auckland
Eighthirty, Auckland
Fat Dog Cafe and Bar, Rotorua
Flames International Hotel
Fred Bourke, Auckland
Gorgeous Restaurant, Auckland
Hilton Auckland (Fish Restaurant), Auckland
Iberia Restaurante, Masterton
Jack & Jill, Greytown
Jagz of Village Green, Invercargill
Kokoya Sushi, Auckland
Krave Catering (Paihia) LTD, Paihia
Lake Tekapo Lodge
Leinster Road Bistro, Christchurch
Licorice Cafe Ltd, Turangi
Little Bread and Butter, Auckland
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS...
congratulations...
November 2011 19 new members
Luciano Espresso Bar, Christchurch
Maggie's Kitchen, Greymouth
Mangonui Fish Shop, Mangonui
Mega Cafe Masterton
Metropolis Caffe, Hamilton
Midori Sushi Bar and Restaurant
Mount Ocean Sports Club
Mozaik Cafe Victoria Park, Auckland
Mums Restaurant, Christchurch
Namaskar India, Hastings
Nandos Newmarket, Auckland
Paper Moon Café, Auckland
Picnic Café, Rotorua
PiPi Café, New Plymouth
Pita Pit Manukau,Auckland
Pita Pit Newtown, Wellington
Pita Pit Tauranga, Tauranga
Pukeko's Nest Café, Pukekohe
Subway Te Irirangi Drive, Auckland
The Bay, Auckland
The Coffee Club – Queensgate, Wellington
The Coffee Club - Wairau Junction, Auckland
The Coffee Club Greenlane, Auckland
The Coffee Club Manukau Supa Centa, Auckland
The Coffee Club Silverdale, Auckland
The Coffee Club Stoddard Road, Auckland
The Coffee Club Victoria Street, Auckland
The Fish & Chip Shop, Millwater, SILVERDALE
The Food Room, Auckland
The Green Room Café, Gore
The Roost Café, Oamaru
The Spicy Affair, Auckland
Three Beans, Auckland
Torpedo Bay Café, Auckland
Urban Soul, Auckland
Vivo Party World, Auckland
Zavito, Auckland
adve
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November 2011 24 regional updates
Rumours, happenings
and events
Pan de Meurte, a 150 cover
Mexican restaurant, has opened on
Tory St.
Gusto Bistro in Petone has closed.
Hogs Breath Café has closed in
the Reading Cinema complex in
Courtenay place and is being replaced
by Steer n’ Beer.
Nick Mills, the owner of a number
of establishments in the city, is to open
a seaside café in Lyall Bay on land
owned by the airport company.
An estimated $4m has been spent by
the former owner of Caffe
L’affare, Jeff Kennedy, on a new
café, coffee roasting and bakery
concept in Jessie St. The new venture
called Pre-Fab is possible due to the
restraint of trade clause expiring.
The purchase and total remodeling
and refit of the 1000 sq m former
warehouse space reflect the confidence
in the Wellington café market.
Things that make you
go mmmmmmmmmm
One of our members received the
following advice on dietary
requirements for a Christmas booking
of 5. Maybe they should be eating in a
hospital instead of a restaurant!
For your reference the group’s dietary
requirements are as follows:
Nick – allergic to all nuts, shellfish
and sesame seeds
Ian – vegetarian, doesn’t eat meat
except for seafood
Ben – allergic to strawberries,
raspberries and lima beans
Jess – vegetarian, doesn’t eat meat
or seafood or any meat
related products such as
beef or chicken stock
Courtney
– lactose intolerant, allergic to
milk and dairy products,
doesn’t eat pork or certain
shellfish
Kind regards
Mike Egan,
Restaurant Association
National President
m: 021 966 667
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from the capital: from the capital:
hot plate coming through
S ummer so far has been slightly
busier than last season. The
weather has definitely been a bit
more favourable and there have
been more campers in the region because
of this. December provided a bit more trade
than last year but business has not improved
by a lot and there doesn’t seem to be much
consistency in day to day trade.
Hopefully we will see some good settled
weather in February and March and with it
some more tourists visiting the region. It
seems that once school goes back the
weather is certainly more stable.
The Jazz and Blues festival at
the beginning of January created a good
opportunity for people to get out and about
in town. The next Summer event coming up
is Buskerbergoo, the Nelson Buskers’
and Street Theatre Series. Running from Feb
7th to the 10th there are daily shows at the
top of Trafalgar St and evening events at
The Boathouse and at Fairfield Park.
On the restaurant and bar scene we have
seen the opening of Rhythm and Brown
on New St. Scott and Resina
Bradley opening a pleasant craft beer
bar in the site formerly operated as Sachi
Seafood and Sushi Bar. Krauts German
Eatery are still finishing off the build in
Montgomery car park having been held up
with earthquake strengthening that needed
to be carried out.
The Sprig and Fern have opened in
Tahunanui in the old Amigo’s site. They
managed to get open just before all the
campers turned up.
Let’s hope that the summer still has a couple
of month’s left and that the locals and
tourists can get out and enjoy all the
hospitality that we have on offer.
Happy New Year to all, Harry
President Nelson Branch / Harrys Bar
m: 027 525 8665
nelson news
Jeff Kennedy & Bridget Dunn at the new Pre-Fab
PHOTO: KEVIN STENT/Fairfax NZ
04 THE THYMES February 2012 regional round up
W ell Happy New Year!
I would like to take this
opportunity to
congratulate members for their hard
work and creative ways to get customers
moving through their doors. The lead
up to Christmas and summer is very
busy.
Skyline Rotorua recently
celebrated the opening of the latest
venture which sees a very fine wine
cellar added into the mix. The wine is
Volcanic Wines. It is good to see
something here locally (and no the
grapes are not grown here).
Skyline has been very busy and just
added 45 more staff to its roster over
summer - more than double the number
of seasonal staff it took on last summer.
They have also won their first Beef &
Lamb Excellence Award. Head Chef
Fred Krueutmayer, said the team were
constantly working to develop
innovative flavours and techniques.
I took some visitors to a couple of our
cafes recently and on the whole they
were very impressed with the food and
the service. It was a change for me as
everyone usually prefers to dine at
“Kerswell on the Terrace”
September 2011 23 R
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kia ora from
rotorua The whole family also attended the
Seafood Festival in Tauranga
which my goddaughter Caryn and her
husband Dan a (commercial fisherman)
run every year. The ambience was
great and the weather was even better;
crayfish in abundance (yum), great
music as well and we all had a great
time.
Feedback from local members is that
business is up on last year. The weather
was a lot kinder, hence more
customers. Staffing levels are holding
well here. People are a lot more
positive and spending a bit more on
dining out.
I am not sure of this new Bill which is
currently before Parliament that would
give hospitality businesses the option of
allowing pets on the premises. Could
this eliminate potential future customers
who could choose to stay away for the
safety of their children? Can the industry
really afford that? In a recent poll held
here in Rotorua, 71% were not in
support of the Bill and just 16% were. I
love animals but not around food etc.
Planning is now taking place for the 2013 Rotorua Hospitality
Awards which will be held on the 23rd
of June. Meantime it is back to work
and looking forward to seeing my new
intake of students.
Naku noa na
Sharon Wallace
Rotorua Branch President
Waiariki Institute of Technology
m: (027) 233 4146
November 2011 24
The Restaurant Association have
developed a Model Job Descriptions
handbook for members. This provides a
valuable resource for creating
position descriptions to help
businesses hire the most qualified
applicants for their operation.
The Handbook includes Job Descriptions
for 24 positions.
Job descriptions are intended to help an
employer determine whether a person is
qualified to perform a job. This handbook
provides generic position descriptions,
which can be customised to reflect the
specific tasks and responsibilities of the
employees in an operation.
We have identified the attributes,
experience and competencies that could
be associated with the various positions.
ORDER NOW…
The Restaurant Association’s Model Job
Descriptions handbook is available for just
$12.27 (incl of GST and P&P) - order online
through www.restaurantnz.co.nz or call 0800
737 827.
The Restaurant Association appreciates that hospitality is a 24/7 industry and as a result employment issues can occur at a variety of times. A reminder that we have a HELP DESK, capably managed in-house by CEO, Marisa Bidois, which is contactable Monday to Friday 8.00am-6.00pm on
0800 737 827 and outside these hours on 027-559 7777. The service is for members with urgent employment problems.
Help is never far away!
Model Job Descriptions Handbook
FEATURED PRODUCT.. .
THE THYMES February 2013 33 regional round up
H awke’s Bay is having a
good old fashioned hot
summer to remember. Over
Christmas and New Year we
had many days over 30 degrees which
brings in the visitors & keeps them
hungry & thirsty.
Leading up to Christmas there was also
plenty of action…
EVENTS
Official domestic visitor
numbers were up for November. A
major contributor to the rise was the
inaugural Food And Wine
Classic – or F.A.W.C. The event
was held in November and was
conceived and run by the team at
Hawke’s Bay Tourism.
F.A.W.C was a huge success with 55
events. The opening at Craggy Range
sold out with over 300 guests
celebrating in style. The Lacovoure
Lunch at the Farmers Market was also a
hit. Tables were allocated their own
guest chef & farmers market vouchers,
which they used to buy ingredients to
bring back to their chef who then had to
make a three course lunch.
Guests chefs included David Griffiths,
September 2011 23
Paolo Pancotti, Dan Pistone plus three
TV chefs. The lunch was organised by
Food Hawke’s Bay.
Other highlights included The Oyster
Salon at Advintage; Homage BBQ at
Trinity Hill; Syrah Tasting at Elephant
Hill; Seafood and Eat it @ Mangapapa
Lodge; 15 course degustation dinner
@ Taste Cornucopia; Magnificent
Martini @ Milk & Honey ; A Taste of
Spain @ Deliciosa; The Black Barn
Comedy Feast & Tuatara’s in the Bay
@ Crossing Bier Garden at Westshore
Beach Inn.
Planning is under way for WINTER
FAWC and dates around 20 June are
being locked in. Watch out for an
announcement in the next week or two
on www.fawc.nz.
The successful Kai in the Bay
was held in the middle of November for
the third year. The celebration of Maori
food is held at Perfume Point in Ahuriri
and attracted around 5000 people. The
event included cooking demonstrations,
competitions & wild food stalls.
Once again weddings are
contributing to the local economy and
are a growing part of our hospitality
industry. Wineries and venues like
Mission Estate, Craggy Range and
Black Barn have been heavily booked -
with brides and mother of the brides
taking over for 3 months. Many other
businesses are also reaping the benefits;
from cafes, photographers and
accommodation providers to tour
operators and hairdressers.
NEW & OLD
The owners of the iconic Masonic Hotel
in Napier employed Tom Skyring to
help them to redesign the restaurant
and bar areas and reopened as The
Emporium at the end of last year. The
space respects the building Art Deco
REG
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news from
wine country
34 THE THYMES November 2012 re
Heritage whilst modernising the space.
The team at Emporium is led by Shaye
Bird, formerly from The Old Church.
Jennifer Le Compte, owner of Opera
Kitchen in Hastings has opened a
second cafe / restaurant in Ahuriri
called FG Smiths. A strong team is in
place, with Hayden Esau leading the
kitchen and Dan Norman managing the
business. Both Hayden & Dan came
from The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.
Winemaker Rod McDonald has taken
over the Cellar Door at Te Awanga
Estate (formerly Kim Crawford Cellar
Door) to provide a home for his wines
under the brands Quarter Acre and Te
Awanga Estate. The Cellar Door is
managed by globetrotting Imogen
Throp (former Maitre D at Deliciosa)
who sailed back from Fiji to look after
wine sales over summer.
Clearview recently launched a new
bubbles called “Bella”. The wine is
named after owners Tim & Helma’s
youngest daughter Bella.
Liquor King have opened their new
concept store in Onekawa, Napier. This
is only the second store to undergo the
major refit (the other is in Christchurch).
The store features a fill your own bar
area with craft beers including Lion’s
newly acquired Emerson’s.
Rumour is Dennis Buckley, owner of
Shed 2 in West Quay, is opening a
new Mexican Restaurant next door.
Here’s to a long hot Indian summer,
Sean Burns
Hawke’s Bay Branch President
Milk and Honey
m: 027 623 2223
W e are having a very hot summer here in Taranaki. Leftovers from the heat in
Australia – or perhaps global warming has finally hit us here? Who knows. Whatever is causing it, we’re loving it and along with abundant rain at times, the region is green, green, green and keeping the farmers happy as well. That bodes well for us in this dairying province, as with any luck we’ll see the trickle down effect of the increased milk production go right into our tills! Speaking of money in tills, even though it doesn’t feel like the economy has improved much to me, my figures have indicated a hopeful 1.49% increase in turnover so far this financial year, accompanied by a bigger drop in food costs. I have been working hard on those so my accountant should be happy. He gave me a bit of a verbal slapping over my gross margins for last year so looking better so far. In Oakura (where I happen to live), we’ve been very pleased to welcome Café Mantra, an offshoot of India Today, who have taken over the local restaurant here. Without being too rude about it, the eatery scene in our village has been sadly lacking over the past couple of years. Jasse and Roman have worked very hard giving the establishment a completely new look, along with their new menu, (a combination of European and Indian dishes). This has seen the locals wending their way there in a steady stream. The Federal Store has opened
in Strandon (northern New Plymouth)
and also appears to be doing a steady
trade. They’ve created a kind of rustic
look inside, with old weatherboards
lining the walls, a big TipTop poster
covering one end wall and a mix of
formica and other old tables.
Completely different to Zanzibar which
it took over and Jeremy seems to be
enjoying his new business back in the
café trade.
I see the premises that used to house The Grumpy Mole are being completely stripped back/covered up, ready for another new bar to open there. I think they hope to be up and running by February and I see the workmen are working late into the night trying to get the work done. Cobb and Co (the company), now have a new franchisor with experience in both business and hospitality. Ben and Sue Gower are the new franchisors. They have owned and operated the Cobb & Co in Tauranga and took over the chain in November 2012. Melanie and Glenn (our local owners), are very excited about it and believe that with the drive and commitment to the brand of the new franchisors, there will be great things ahead. Now on a completely different note, I received a summons to jury duty the other day and thought I could get myself off it as I have done with various staff members in the past, by writing and saying I can’t be replaced at work. However apparently that is no longer a valid excuse! They say I have to arrange a month sometime in the next year where I can commit to be on duty! I’m not happy about that I can tell you. Whilst I probably can organise this for myself and burn the candle at both ends doing my real work outside of courthouse hours, the same cannot be said if one of my chefs gets a summons. Has anyone else had this problem – and if they have – do they have a solution? I’d be very interested to know so I can prepare myself in advance. Barbara Olsen-Henderson
Bach on Breakwater
REG
ION
AL
RO
UN
DU
P…
TA
RA
NA
KI
tales from
taranaki
congratulations restaurant indonesia
Hawke’s Bay hospitality institution, Restaurant
Indonesia are celebrating 30 years of
business. Owners Kees Peters and Joss
Lamers are celebrating the occasion by
putting together some great prizes for
customers to win over the year, including
monthly prize draws and the grand prize—
a dinner for 30 at Restaurant Indonesia.
Congratulations on reaching this milestone.
THE THYMES February 2013 35 regional round up
regional updates
NEW OPENINGS ABOUND
The trickle of new openings that started before Christmas is
turning into a virtual flood as operators vie for the best
central city positions.
Hot on the heels of Fiddlestix, Dux dine and
Café Valentino, which got opened before Christmas
comes a rebuilt Lone Star on their old site in
Manchester Street, Venuto in Colombo Street, Winnie
Bagoes in Allen Street, Jonny Schwass’s new
restaurant in the old Ironside House in Victoria Street and
an as yet unnamed venture in St Asaph Street.
Landlords are sharing in the action with prime sites being
hotly contested between prospective tenants and landlords
watching as they outbid each other for the good sites.
The city’s most prolific hospitality landlord, Anthony
Gough, has announced plans for a ‘mega strip’ along
Oxford Terrace with the intention to be up and running by
the end of next year. For those with interest in this,
remember nothing is for nothing and the rents will be
substantial. If I was interested in taking a lease on one of
these spaces I would be looking at a turnover based lease
as it may be some time before the crowds return to the city.
The top end of Cranford Street has emerged as a
hospitality hub with at least half a dozen operations
opening their doors. From all accounts trade is good
though there has been the odd customer niggle about
getting back on to Cranford Street.
Wait staff too are sharing in the rewards (and about
time too) with one establishment reportedly offering
$17.50 as a starting rate. The upward pressure on pay
rates will only increase as competition for experienced staff
heats up.
SAD PASSING
It is with sadness that I pass on the news of the passing of
Di Frost after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Di
was associated with the local hospitality industry over many
years as a wine rep with Distinguished Vineyards and more
recently Epicurean Wines.
REG
ION
AL
RO
UN
DU
P…
C
AN
TER
BU
RY
canterbury viewpoint
UPCOMING BRANCH MEETING
It’s time for a revitalisation of the Canterbury
Branch of the Restaurant Association and so on
Wednesday 6th March at 2 p.m. we will hold a
meeting to discuss the focus of the local Branch
over the coming year.
We will be looking for a new set of office bearers, so
this is a great opportunity to get more involved with
the Association at an interesting time for the region.
There will be nothing stuffy here though; no past
minutes, no financial reports, just a bit of a round up
of what has been happening over the past 18 months,
some sound advice from CEO Marisa Bidois and an
election of office bearers. Following that it is down to
the social business with your fellow members.
The date is Wednesday 6th March
Time 2.00-4.00 P.M.
Venue Café Valentino 168 St Asaph Street,
Central City
As I don’t intend to stand for re election at the AGM
this will be my last contribution to the newsletter. It has
been an amazing 24 months, longer if you count
September 2010 as the start.
I would like to thank those members that have offered
support over this time and thank those many that have
shared their experiences with me. There have been lots
of harrowing moments and many long, late night
phone calls with distraught members in the aftermath
of February 2011. It has been a wild ride and one I
do not want to repeat.
I feel it is the right time to stand aside given the
expansion in the hospitality industry that will take place
in 2013 and look forward to having a drink with
members after the AGM on the 6th.
Thank you all,
Michael Turner
Acting Canterbury Branch President
Café Valentino
m: 021 441 205
36 THE THYMES February 2012
mainly of interest to
auckland members...
November 2011 34
One of the next big things to happen in hospitality in Auckland is the development of the City Works Depot area. By the end of the year, the precinct’s spacious, architecturally designed sheds will be home to a new Al Brown restaurant and Michael Van De Elzen’s Foodtruck Garage as well as the existing Brothers Brewery and Shed Five Café. The City Works Depot was purpose built for the Council in 1968 and over the past 50 years has been home to things as diverse as workshops, parking, fashion shows and parties. It will be interesting to see the reinvigoration of these industrial buildings. Cornwall Park Restaurant owner, Dean Johnson, has taken over the café at Eden Gardens on the side of Mt Eden. Look out for an overall revamp of the venue and menu – with High Tea set to be a key feature at the site. The Hampton's is a pop-up restaurant based on the 'Hampton's' within the State of New York. It is a 4 month project bought to you by Tony Stewart and Des Harris (both of Clooney Restaurant) and Tom Mayo, Grant Calder. The pop up eatery is housed on the front courtyard of one of Shortland Street’s high rise towers. Due to the strictly outdoor nature, The Hamptons will only be open until the end of May where patrons can seek a respite from the hectic pace of the city, “rest and find calm within a scene of madness”. Scott Brown and Jackie Grant from The Hip Group (who also own the Takapuna Beach Café, Rosehip in Parnell, Richmond Rd Café in Grey Lynn and Café on Kohi), have recently opened St Heliers Bay Café. This café and bistro is open first thing in the morning for breakfast right through to dinner and drinks. Heading up the kitchen is renowned chef, Mark Sycamore, former NZ Chef of the Year and Executive Chef at Blanket Bay Resort who was lured north a few years back to work at Hotel de Brett. 2013 will be a big year for the group as they also prepare to open not one but three eateries in the Britomart precinct, including a 90 seat casual Italian bistro called Ortolana; The Store, which will focus on great takeaway food, fresh pastries and bread plus takeout meals in the evening; and a dessert restaurant-wine bar called Milse. Ponsonby Central is now up and running with a quirky array of eateries and establishments including Jimmy Gerard’s (ex Harbourside Restaurant) Jimmy the Fish, Little Bread and Butter Bakery, Tokyo Club (from the people that bought us Soto and Cocoro), Toru (from the owners of Teed Street Larder and Wai Kitchen), Maldito Mendez, Neat Meat and more…
Jeremy Schmid, owner of Mt Eden’s Two Fifteen is set to take over the historic “Officers Mess” building at Narrowneck Beach with the aim to turn the space into a family-oriented restaurant and weekend cafe. The building will also be available for weddings and functions. THE Thymes has been told that Luke Dallow’s Red Hummingbird on Federal Street is set to be taken over by Sean Connolly (The Grill).
news. City Works Depot
The Hampton’s
Little Bead & Butter, Ponsonby Central
Toru, Ponsonby Central
THE THYMES February 2013 03 auckland members
ADVERTISEMENT
mainly of interest to
auckland members...
November 2011 34
THE EBS GREASE ERADICATION SYSTEM
Not only does the system extend the life of the plumbing, but it also dramatically reduces the need for grease trap pump outs.
The bacteria colonize on the build-up and continue to consume it until the line is clear.
As they eat, the sugar, starch, grease and oil is converted into harmless air and water.
Contact 0800 258 373 [email protected]
CHEFS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND CALLED TO JOIN GOOD FORK WEEK
With almost 65 per cent of adults in New
Zealand either overweight or obese there is
no doubt obesity is one of the biggest public
health problems that we face. New Zealand
chef, Michael Van de Elzen, is calling on
chefs to join the fight against obesity by
participating in the inaugural Good Fork Week.
The week, which is being launched by Unilever Food
Solutions in partnership with the New Zealand Nutrition
Foundation, will be held from 4 – 10 March 2013.
Good Fork Week encourages all chefs and food operators to commit to making small
changes to at least one dish on their menu to provide a more nutritious option to their
diners and in turn take a step forward in tackling the obesity epidemic.
Michael Van de Elzen is excited to be the official Good Fork Week Ambassador and
explains how easy it is for chefs to participate in the initiative. “As chefs we pride
ourselves on our culinary skills and creativity when producing the perfect dish, I really
feel it’s important that healthy food forms an essential part of our restaurant offering.
Are you up for the challenge?” Mr Van de Elzen said.
Participation in Good Fork Week is free of charge and all registered participants will
receive a Good Fork Week Registration pack, including Michael Van de Elzen’s own
Good Fork Week menu item recipe, posters, stickers and wrist bands. For more
information on Good Fork Week and to participate, visit www.goodforkweek.co.nz
or call 0800 367 756.
2013
February
06 Waitangi Day (public holiday)
12 Restaurant Association Auckland Branch Golf Day, Muriwai Golf Course www.restaurantnz.co.nz
14 Valentines Day
16-18 More FM Devonport Food and Wine Festival, Devonport www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz
March
05 Restaurant Association Front of House Induction Workshop @ taste, 45 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden www.restaurantnz.co.nz 05 Restaurant Association Visiting Hour @ Westpac “Level 9”, Britomart www.restaurantnz.co.nz
18 Restaurant Association webinar series: “Three employment mistakes to avoid”, presented by Alison Maelzer To register email [email protected]
26 Restaurant Association professional development: “Emerging Managers”, presented by Krishna Botica www.restaurantnz.co.nz
29 Good Friday
April
1 Easter Monday
3 Restaurant Association webinar series: “Embracing Social Media”, presented by Eva-Maria To register email [email protected]
16 Restaurant Association professional development: “Finding Money In Your Trash”, presented Stephen Thompson www.restaurantnz.co.nz
news. upcoming auckland events.
38 THE THYMES February 2012 auckland members
Wine Facts...
Pungent, Exuberant, Intense…The varietal that
awoke the world to New Zealand wine.
Fo
od
Ma
tch
ing
Sa
uvi
gnon B
lanc’
s cr
isp a
cidity
is
del
icio
us
with
a
crunch
y su
mm
er s
ala
d fea
turing
capsi
cum
s, c
her
ry tom
ato
es a
nd v
inaig
rette
.
New
Zea
land S
auvi
gnon B
lanc
is fam
ed for
its
pungen
tly a
rom
atic
gre
en c
apsi
cum
(bel
l p
epper
),
goose
ber
ry &
lush
pass
ionfruit
chara
cter
s. S
tyle
s ca
n v
ary
fro
m this
tra
diti
onal st
yle
to those
show
ing
fres
h-c
ut gra
ss, to
mato
sta
lks,
mel
ons
& lim
e. T
he
Marlboro
ugh r
egio
n r
epre
sents
80%
of all
pla
ntin
gs.
N
orth Isl
and s
tyle
s te
nd to s
how
soft, ripe,
more
tro
pic
al
chara
cter
s, w
her
eas
the
more
south
erly
sty
les
show
cris
per
, lig
hte
r m
ore
vib
rant st
yles
. C
ella
rin
g &
Serv
ing
Key Dates…
february
06
Waita
ngi D
ay
(public
holid
ay)
09
Marlboro
ugh F
ood a
nd W
ine
Fes
tival,
Ble
nheim
w
ww
.marlboro
ughw
inefe
stiv
al.co
.nz
14
Vale
ntin
es D
ay
16-1
8
More
FM
Dev
onport F
ood a
nd W
ine
Fes
tival, A
uck
land
w
ww
.devo
nportw
inefe
stiv
al.co
.nz
23
The
Gre
at Kiw
i Bee
r Fes
tival,
C
hrist
churc
h
w
ww
.gre
atk
iwib
eerf
est
ival.co
.nz
march
01-1
7
Mel
bourn
e Food &
Win
e Fes
tival,
M
elbourn
e. A
ust
ralia
w
ww
.melb
ourn
efo
odandw
ine.c
om
.au
01
Blu
ff o
yste
r se
aso
n o
pen
s!
05
Res
taura
nt A
ssoci
atio
n F
ront of H
ouse
in
duct
ion w
ork
shop tast
e, 4
5 N
orm
anby
Road,
M
t Eden
. A
uck
land
w
ww
.rest
aura
ntn
z.co
.nz
Did You Know?
1
Did
you k
now
it ta
kes
1 w
eek
to
make
a jel
ly b
ean?
2
Did
you k
now
only
4 o
ut of 2
0,0
00
spec
ies
of bee
s pro
duce
honey
?
3
Did
you k
now
onio
ns
are
part o
f the
lily
fam
ily?
Hospo Thymes staff page
Indust
ry u
pdate
for
hosp
itality
sta
ff, bought to
you b
y th
e R
est
aura
nt A
ssoci
ation o
f N
Z
rip it out and p
in it on y
our
notice
board
etc
...
5 reasons why
hospo jobs are
great!
1 Y
OU
MA
KE P
EO
PLE
’S D
AY. ev
ery
time
you c
om
e in
to
work
you’r
e m
aki
ng s
om
eone'
s day
that lit
tle b
it bet
ter.
Your
busi
nes
s is
all
about peo
ple
. It’
s not about
wid
get
s or
spre
adsh
eets
; it’
s about m
aki
ng p
eople
happy.
2 IT
’S C
REA
TIV
E.
As
wel
l as
bei
ng a
peo
ple
-orien
ted
indust
ry,
hosp
italit
y is
cre
ativ
e. Y
ou a
re c
reatin
g a
pro
duct
— b
e th
at fo
od,
drink,
or
an e
xper
ience
.
3 IT
OP
EN
S A
DO
OR
TO
TH
E W
OR
LD.
Eve
ry c
ountry
in
the
world h
as
a h
osp
italit
y in
dust
ry,
and the
skill
s yo
u
learn
her
e are
rea
dily
tra
nsf
erable
, m
eanin
g that a
care
er in h
osp
italit
y ca
n b
e th
e ke
y to
dis
cove
ring n
ew
countrie
s, n
ew c
ultu
re a
nd n
ew p
eople
.
4 N
OT 9
-5. .
It in
volv
es a
gre
at dea
l of va
riet
y, n
ot only
in
ter
ms
of th
e hours
you w
ork
, but als
o the
work
you
do d
uring those
hours
.
5 T
HER
E’S
NO
NEED
TO
GET S
TU
CK
. Th
ere
is s
uch
en
orm
ous
scope
with
in the
hosp
italit
y in
dust
ry that
ther
e’s
nev
er a
ny
nee
d for
you to g
et s
tuck
in o
ne
nic
he.
RE
ST
AU
RA
NT
A
SS
OC
IA
TIO
N O
F N
EW
Z
EA
LA
ND
WW
W.R
ES
TA
UR
AN
TN
Z.C
O.N
Z 0
80
0 7
37
8
27
Check Out…
The
Res
taura
nt A
ssoci
atio
n P
rofe
ssio
nal D
evelo
pm
ent
cale
ndar
for
Marc
h—
June
20
13
. N
ow
ava
ilable
!
Call
Jo B
irdsa
ll on 0
80
0 7
37 8
27
or
jo@
tast
enz.
co.n
z
for
a c
opy
of th
e ca
lendar
or
go to w
ww
.res
taura
ntn
z.co
.nz
for
more
info
rmatio
n (lo
ok
under
the
train
ing tab).
W
OO
DED
N
ON
-WO
OD
ED
Boulcott St Bistro, Osteria Del Toro, Wellington)
Poverty Bay: Grant Bailey (Fettuccine Brothers, Gisborne)
)
Bart Littlejohn (Sails Restaurant, Auckland) Steve Logan (Logan Brown, Wellington)
Michael Turner
Howard Morris (Harry’s Bay, Nelson)
Joe Deegan (Pacific International Hotel Management School, New Plymouth)
Marcel Rood (Raupo Cafe, Blenheim)
s
Marisa Bidois
R
Andrew Targett (Elizabeth Café & Larder)
Cam Mitchell (The Bunker Restaurant & Bar, Queenstown)
Hayley Scott (Zinc Café, Hamilton)
Boulcott St Bistro, Osteria Del Toro, Wellington)
Sean Burns (Milk and Honey, Napier)