“Because of the recession right now, it’s like something to eat is not enough … You have to give the people something to do. So the photobooths, combined with the matcha …”
The move comes against a backdrop of high-profile restaurant closures in Ponsonby. Last week, chef Lesley Chandra announced the high-end Sidart was in liquidation. SPQR – a stalwart of the infamous dining strip for more than 25 years – closed last year.
Meanwhile, hospitality operators across Auckland appear to be doing anything they can to survive, from the proliferation of bottomless brunches to the likes of The French Cafe’s “Friday Steak Frites” with unlimited truffle fries.
While the Restaurant Association’s latest report showed total annual sales for the year ended June 2025 were a record $15.99 billion (up 1.4%), it noted the sector was facing higher operational costs. Business closures had increased 19% on the previous year.
Gochu, one of the Namu Group restaurant’s in Auckland’s Commercial Bay, photographed in 2020. Photos / Sylvie Whinray
Namu Group currently operates Gemmi and Gochu in Auckland’s Commercial Bay, Tobi in Ponsonby Rd and Dweji and The Candy Shop (and its nighttime pop-up Guksu Shop 88) in Newmarket. Crack Chicken stores in Hamilton and Wellington offer takeaways only.
“And they do great,” says Cho. “When we did the Crack Chicken in Ponsonby, what we didn’t consider was that it’s not a takeaway shop. It required front-of-house staff.
“No matter how busy we were, we couldn’t really see that much return.”
Cho says group chief executive David Lee has always been “very quick” to act if a restaurant isn’t working.
“We have the option to either just pull the plug and file for bankruptcy, or to keep on trying to make it work, or to change the idea and change the concept.
“That’s no shame to the people who do file for bankruptcy, that’s absolutely their prerogative, that’s just not how we’ve done it … we’re also just very realistic when something is not working.”
While matcha shortages had made international news, Cho said there was a gap in the Auckland market.
“It’ll be hot, traditional Japanese matcha, but I also recently went to New York and LA and they had quite a different approach. White people have bastardised it a bit, they’ve modernised it, and put their own spin on it. And honestly, it works because it’s delicious – iced strawberry matchas, iced banana bread matcha.”
Honeymoon Avenue – with menu items pitched between $8.50-$12.50 – would also play into a trend towards lower alcohol consumption.
“I hate people that say ‘studies show’. But, honestly, I’m seeing it before my very own eyes,” says Cho. “Owning Tobi, I was shocked at how little people drink. Either they just drink a very appropriate amount – like one or two a night – or they’re just straight into mocktails.
“Back in my day, and I’m not that old, eating was not a priority … it’s not like that anymore. Kids are a little bit more self-aware and more sensible these days.”
Cho says Namu Group had originally planned to install photobooths (imported from Korea) at the back of Crack Chicken, Ponsonby.
“[But] can you honestly imagine munching on fried chicken and taking a photo? I genuinely can’t.”
Honeymoon Avenue “is gonna be pretty”, Cho promises.
“My experience of hospitality, although it’s short, has proved that women are the consumers. I think this will be a nice little hub for the girls of Ponsonby. The girls and the gays!”
Kim Knight joined the New Zealand Herald in 2016 and is a senior journalist on its lifestyle desk. She is a former restaurant critic and holds a master’s in gastronomy.