“I’ve often told people, that when you work for yourself there is a four-letter word that drives you, it starts with an F and it’s called fear. Fear drives you to market,” says Donice Morris, who owns and manages Aratapu Tavern, with husband Richard.
“We are in this for the long term. It has been expensive making changes and marketing but we expected that, we planned for it and we’re getting things right.
“In the beginning we were trying to change this from a place where a few people got drunk every night into a family centre. We have put in a DVD room for the kids, so parents can come and have a sit-down meal and if they want, sit by the fire and have a cocktail and know there’s a safe place for the kids.”
Now into their fifth month as proprietors of the Aratapu Tavern, the Morris’s say their clientele is growing and they are seeing new faces all the time.
They have hosted several functions which have proved popular with the locals. Coming up is a ‘dress-up’ party in August — ‘just for the sake of it’ — and the Boar Hunt in September.
The restaurant menu and dining room have received a make-over and the kitchen uses neighbour, Warren Suckling’s, ‘sweet’ kumara for their Sunday Roasts. The fire is always going and a courtesy van is available to pick people up and deliver them home safely.
“We wanted to buy an existing business that we could have fun running. Someone said to me that Richard and I are like hosts — like part of the party,” adds Donice. “And that’s why we did this, we like to entertain, we like to have parties and this has been one endless party since we got here.”
