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“There comes a point where you just have to kill it. People keep putting money into their businesses, and they’re never going to get that back,” Doyle said. Doyle said he opened the Ponsonby store after closing his 18-year-old business, The Bluestone Room, in Auckland’s CBD last year, because of the disruptions caused by Covid-19 coupled with the City Rail Link construction. “I don’t think politicians really understand the impact they’ve had on hospitality businesses because of their decisions. Be it Covid-19 or in the case of many Auckland central businesses, the City Rail Link disruptions.”
Michael Khuwattanasenee says the fact more and more people are interested in eating less meat led him to open Khu Khu, a vegan Thai restaurant in Ponsonby, Auckland. “When you look overseas there are so many vegan places, but New Zealand is still lagging behind,” Khuwattanasenee said. Before starting Khu Khu, Khuwattanasenee said he wanted to do a 30-day vegan challenge as part of his market research to study what was available in Auckland. “I found it so hard to eat out. I went to an Asian place and I asked for a vegan dish, but it was tofu and vegetables in chicken stock and fish sauce,” Khuwattanasenee said.