The Restaurant Association s annual report shows eateries were struck hard by Covid-19 but are slowly recovering.
Kiwis spent $12.1b on drinking and dining in the year ending March 2020, before the pandemic slashed revenue by over $1b. But the Restaurant Association’s annual report paints a picture of grit, survival, and opportunity. Kelly Dennett reports. Fishbone was in Darren Lovell’s DNA. Lovell had cooked at the popular Queenstown restaurant six nights a week for 15 years. It had received multiple awards, been named one of New Zealand’s top 100 restaurants, was hand-picked for guide books and Lonely Planet lists. Tourists flocked to the fresh fish eatery.