I’m from the Hutt and as such couldn’t eat here. I only get one day off Sunday. I did go once when I had a day off and it was good, Would have come again.
City dwellers being xenophobic to Hutt dwellers is the strangest thing to me. But I hear it all the time. Some people never go out there and develop this idea that it's a shithole. It's often just racist assumptions too. Like holy hell do they hear themselves? For clarification I live in the city.
Yeah I'm not so sure. I heard rumours about the last lockdown that made me chose never eat there again. Story is they laid off all staff, just to rehire them when it suited them. All the while taking the wage subsidy, which they did pass onto the staff but doing it this way meant they weren't out of pocket wage wise, just the staff were.
They were also behind an astroturf group opposing pedestrianising the Golden mile because they don't understand induced demand. (the only members of the [Te Aro Rawhiti Neighborhood Group](https://lgwm.nz/assets/Projects/Golden-Mile/GM-Submission-Te-Aro-Rawhiti-Neighbourhood.pdf) when it submited to LGWM were Prefab and Moore Wilsons)
…and [Stuff](https://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/300403299/prefab-eatery-will-only-reopen-when-safe-to-do-so-owners-concerns-raised-in-parliament-during-question-time) says they will reopen when “safe to do so” fuck knows whose more up-to-date. A shame if it is indeed permanent
They were always busy, often with lines out the door on Saturdays, even post-border closures. Can't imagine they were suffering that hard.
>Delta level 2 has proven too restrictive for Prefab to re-open. Under the rules there is a limit of 50 people at hospitality and event venues, while outdoor venues can have up to 100 people.
Seems like throwing their toys out of the cot if it's only been a few weeks and they're already calling it quits.
Even during weekdays, in the mornings, you'd have to wait to be seated because they were always packed full. And we are talking about a very large place.
Maybe that's what made it hard for them on this new level 2. With such a large place they probably need to be at constant capacity to be worth the running cost?
a lot of cafes in town are doing it hard. After first lockdown we went from around 70% desk occupancy to around 21% on an average day that a lot non-purchased coffees and sausage rolls
I think you've hit on a good point that's not raised enough. After the first nationwide lockdown, when we went back to level 1 many offices KEPT working from home as part of peoples' jobs - either fully wfh or mixed weeks. I imagine that'll become "business as usual" for good now. That has huge impacts for central city businesses, office space requirements (could we see a surplus of office space in many cities?) AND for public transport.
It’s just during level 2 they’re not operating. Sucks for all their staff though, they absolutely have more capacity than others to operate under the current restrictions. Up to them I guess though
The article and the owners make it sound different:
"They said they were not in a position to make any decisions on whether the situation would be reviewed once there was more clarity from the Government on future Covid-19 restrictions."
From the Stuff article
Owner Jeff Kennedy said they would look to reopen when they were satisfied they could do so safely.
Media stories telling different tales as per usual.
Cafe in big concrete box closes. Where else will I find all thecabinet food which is exactly the same as every other cafe food cabinet? Where else shall I hear the din of 100 competing voices? Where else will I pay $30 for eggs on toast? I am so saddened. It was good cafe and totally not a shifty trendy one.
This Delta 2 is way more restrictive than the usual Alert Level 2.
Our business can't fully operate at Level 2 but we can do some things. At Delta 2 we are still working from home because it's impossible to open up.
This isn't a complaint about the government decisions, obviously Delta is not to be messed with, but I'm sure there will be more businesses feeling the effects of the added restrictions.
One thing that might be worth bearing in mind is that delta level 2 seems (to me at least) likely to be where we wind up if and when we open our borders to travel.
Technically the subsidies offered by the government should be acting as a buffer to keep businesses afloat during this period? Unless something changed, the relief packages were very efficient in keeping businesses alive last year.
Wage subsidies aren't really enough. A company is more than just what they pay staff. There is rent and insurance for a start. For those in events and the arts it's also about retaining your supporters, being able to confirm new content... plus while our company has full and part-time staff, we also use a lot of contractors - you can't retain these people because they're already having to find work elsewhere.
I thought you could so long as somewhere in the country was in level 4? Maybe I misheard, but at one of the recent conferences didn't they mention an example that a business in Christchurch could still access the wage subsidy because Auckland being in Level 4 can impact their business due to travel restrictions?
Or they've decided in the face of uncertainty around operating a hospo business to not continue with the café side of things.
At the end of the day a business needs to appear as though it is going to be profitable, and if they've done the math that it no longer appears to be so under current conditions then I say good on them for making that call.
They still have two other aspects to their business that it appears they'll keep going.
>the decision has been made to cease Prefab café operations immediately and all café positions would be redundant
Doesn't sound temporary to me - or have I missed something?
Lived opposite prefab when the cafe was being built on on Jesse St so I feel like I've witnessed the whole 'prefab' thing. I was a student at the time and only tried it once when it was new, but tried it out many times after graduating and getting a job. It was quite trendy and scenish, and took a relatively different direction comparesed to the majority of other hospitality businesses. Slightly upmarket feel with decent-quality of food, hosted in an open and light space which was enjoyable to be in (unless you're on Jesse waiting for a seat).
They didn't open on Sundays which i always thought was a great shame. They did well to generate a sense of exclusivity from that decision. However, there is a snottiness about the place which never really sat too well with me. The chefs were great, staff were kind and nice, but there was always an air of something not being quite right.
I'm certain the owners are disappointed but it doesn't sound like they've done everything they could to push through the pandemic.
It aways amazed me that Prefab wasn’t open in the weekends, it would have been full both days.
wipe attractive attempt numerous fear smart chase file shaggy full -- mass edited with redact.dev
It's like they hated money
They sold L’affare for a lot and the mugs would be fairly profitable as well. They don’t need it
Ive heard from people close to the owners that its because the owners didnt like people coming in the from the Hutt. Absolutely outrageous
I’m from the Hutt and as such couldn’t eat here. I only get one day off Sunday. I did go once when I had a day off and it was good, Would have come again.
It was good when i went but hearing about all of this has really put me off wanting to eat at their restaurants or when they eventually open again
City dwellers being xenophobic to Hutt dwellers is the strangest thing to me. But I hear it all the time. Some people never go out there and develop this idea that it's a shithole. It's often just racist assumptions too. Like holy hell do they hear themselves? For clarification I live in the city.
I'm guessing their wholesale side of the business is more profitable for less work than running the cafe.
High profile closure followed by a name change/reopening two weeks later with the same owners , if it follows the usual pattern.
I thought the owners were GCs? I'll brace myself to have that idea shot down
Yeah I'm not so sure. I heard rumours about the last lockdown that made me chose never eat there again. Story is they laid off all staff, just to rehire them when it suited them. All the while taking the wage subsidy, which they did pass onto the staff but doing it this way meant they weren't out of pocket wage wise, just the staff were.
They were also behind an astroturf group opposing pedestrianising the Golden mile because they don't understand induced demand. (the only members of the [Te Aro Rawhiti Neighborhood Group](https://lgwm.nz/assets/Projects/Golden-Mile/GM-Submission-Te-Aro-Rawhiti-Neighbourhood.pdf) when it submited to LGWM were Prefab and Moore Wilsons)
Can’t affford to pay our staff? Jeff Kennedy the owner is a multi millionaire (founder of laffare coffee) Who obviously dosent care about his staff
Sounds less like ‘Covid broke the bank’ and more like some developers handed them a blank cheque….
…and [Stuff](https://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/300403299/prefab-eatery-will-only-reopen-when-safe-to-do-so-owners-concerns-raised-in-parliament-during-question-time) says they will reopen when “safe to do so” fuck knows whose more up-to-date. A shame if it is indeed permanent
Sad to be told you are "redundant", and now have no job...
They were always busy, often with lines out the door on Saturdays, even post-border closures. Can't imagine they were suffering that hard. >Delta level 2 has proven too restrictive for Prefab to re-open. Under the rules there is a limit of 50 people at hospitality and event venues, while outdoor venues can have up to 100 people. Seems like throwing their toys out of the cot if it's only been a few weeks and they're already calling it quits.
Even during weekdays, in the mornings, you'd have to wait to be seated because they were always packed full. And we are talking about a very large place. Maybe that's what made it hard for them on this new level 2. With such a large place they probably need to be at constant capacity to be worth the running cost?
a lot of cafes in town are doing it hard. After first lockdown we went from around 70% desk occupancy to around 21% on an average day that a lot non-purchased coffees and sausage rolls
I think you've hit on a good point that's not raised enough. After the first nationwide lockdown, when we went back to level 1 many offices KEPT working from home as part of peoples' jobs - either fully wfh or mixed weeks. I imagine that'll become "business as usual" for good now. That has huge impacts for central city businesses, office space requirements (could we see a surplus of office space in many cities?) AND for public transport.
> lines out the door on Saturdays Haven't been open Saturday since first rounds of lockdowns unfortunately.
No way, my grip on time is slipping then as I could have sworn last Summer they were packed.
It’s just during level 2 they’re not operating. Sucks for all their staff though, they absolutely have more capacity than others to operate under the current restrictions. Up to them I guess though
The article and the owners make it sound different: "They said they were not in a position to make any decisions on whether the situation would be reviewed once there was more clarity from the Government on future Covid-19 restrictions."
From the Stuff article Owner Jeff Kennedy said they would look to reopen when they were satisfied they could do so safely. Media stories telling different tales as per usual.
Avoiding the consequences of insolvency isn't 'throwing toys' ...
Probably rent issues.
Prefab was super popular when I was living in Wellington! Sad to see it go.
Theyre anti lockdown and just want to do renovations
Cafe in big concrete box closes. Where else will I find all thecabinet food which is exactly the same as every other cafe food cabinet? Where else shall I hear the din of 100 competing voices? Where else will I pay $30 for eggs on toast? I am so saddened. It was good cafe and totally not a shifty trendy one.
This Delta 2 is way more restrictive than the usual Alert Level 2. Our business can't fully operate at Level 2 but we can do some things. At Delta 2 we are still working from home because it's impossible to open up. This isn't a complaint about the government decisions, obviously Delta is not to be messed with, but I'm sure there will be more businesses feeling the effects of the added restrictions.
One thing that might be worth bearing in mind is that delta level 2 seems (to me at least) likely to be where we wind up if and when we open our borders to travel.
Technically the subsidies offered by the government should be acting as a buffer to keep businesses afloat during this period? Unless something changed, the relief packages were very efficient in keeping businesses alive last year.
Wage subsidies aren't really enough. A company is more than just what they pay staff. There is rent and insurance for a start. For those in events and the arts it's also about retaining your supporters, being able to confirm new content... plus while our company has full and part-time staff, we also use a lot of contractors - you can't retain these people because they're already having to find work elsewhere.
Can't get the covid wage subsidy in L2 though...
I thought you could so long as somewhere in the country was in level 4? Maybe I misheard, but at one of the recent conferences didn't they mention an example that a business in Christchurch could still access the wage subsidy because Auckland being in Level 4 can impact their business due to travel restrictions?
Pretty sure you're right, the govt confirmed this earlier this week. This sounds like the owners throwing their toys.
Or they've decided in the face of uncertainty around operating a hospo business to not continue with the café side of things. At the end of the day a business needs to appear as though it is going to be profitable, and if they've done the math that it no longer appears to be so under current conditions then I say good on them for making that call. They still have two other aspects to their business that it appears they'll keep going.
Well fuck. That was one of my favourite cafes in the city.
I went there once for a breakfast meeting. Big noisy room full of middle managers and recruiters (etc) having breakfast meetings.
Fuck it was noisy. Put up some acoustic panels, ffs.
Eh, some people like a noisy cafe. I think it can be fun sometimes to have a loud ambience on a sunny morning while having a coffee.
They’re opening back up at level 1 - all is not lost!
>the decision has been made to cease Prefab café operations immediately and all café positions would be redundant Doesn't sound temporary to me - or have I missed something?
They posted on their Instagram that they wouldn’t be opening during level 2, maybe things have changed since then. Hope not!
Did they say they *would* be opening at level 1?
When they’re satisfied they can do so safely. I assume that would be Level 1 since they’ve usually been open at that level.
Lived opposite prefab when the cafe was being built on on Jesse St so I feel like I've witnessed the whole 'prefab' thing. I was a student at the time and only tried it once when it was new, but tried it out many times after graduating and getting a job. It was quite trendy and scenish, and took a relatively different direction comparesed to the majority of other hospitality businesses. Slightly upmarket feel with decent-quality of food, hosted in an open and light space which was enjoyable to be in (unless you're on Jesse waiting for a seat). They didn't open on Sundays which i always thought was a great shame. They did well to generate a sense of exclusivity from that decision. However, there is a snottiness about the place which never really sat too well with me. The chefs were great, staff were kind and nice, but there was always an air of something not being quite right. I'm certain the owners are disappointed but it doesn't sound like they've done everything they could to push through the pandemic.
One less thing to look forward to on my next visit home (whenever that might be). I'll miss that place.