Michelin’s first economic effects: Restaurants add jobs and trading days

The case predicted the benefits could extend well beyond Michelin restaurants, including longer visitor stays, additional accommodation and retail spending, increased regional visitation, greater hospitality investment and employment, and more demand for New Zealand produce.

It also anticipated Michelin could help attract and retain highly skilled hospitality workers and generate export flow-on benefits for New Zealand food and wine.

Documents released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act show Tourism NZ heard anecdotal evidence from overseas that while Michelin-rated restaurants could face extra costs maintaining their accreditation, those could be outweighed by benefits including turnover growth of up to 50% and a greater ability to attract and retain high-quality staff.

They also showed more than 80% of surveyed “Active Considerers” in China, the US and India were considerably more likely to consider New Zealand if it was included in the Michelin Guide, while the research also suggested recognition could influence where visitors travelled once here.

Latest figures outline how the Michelin partnership and associated promotional activity is now expected to cost about $8m over three years – including $2.3m from Tourism New Zealand’s baseline funding and $5.7m from the International Visitor Levy.

Tourism NZ withheld further details of how the money is being spent, citing commercial sensitivities.

Seven new jobs and a doubled waitlist

Queenstown’s Essence, which is found inside luxury hotel ROKI Collection, was the only New Zealand restaurant to receive two Michelin stars.

ROKI Collection general manager Stephen McAteer said its waitlist had doubled from about four tables a night to eight.

He said for the next four months, the restaurant was running at almost full capacity, with staff calling people on the waitlist as soon as tables became available.

McAteer said they had hired another seven team members since receiving its stars.

Food from the 10-course Journey tasting menu at Essence.

“The award has allowed us to create more jobs and attract hospitality professionals who see New Zealand as a place where they can enjoy the lifestyle while building their careers in a Michelin Guide restaurant.”

In Wellington, Logan Brown managing director Steve Logan said bookings initially surged by about 25% to 30%.

He said while the spike had since eased, forward bookings were “thickening up” weeks ahead, and the restaurant had employed another fulltime waiter.

It is also preparing to reopen on Tuesdays, taking the restaurant back to six days a week after dropping to five during Covid-19.

Logan said much of the immediate uplift had come from locals being reminded about the restaurant following its Michelin star, rather than international visitors.

He expected the overseas impact to become clearer in summer.

Record winter trading

At Christchurch’s Inati, co-owner Lisa Levy said 80 bookings arrived in the first half-hour after the Michelin announcement.

She said the restaurant was now full every night and regularly booked several weeks ahead.

Levy said before getting the star, domestic customers typically booked between a few days and a couple of weeks in advance.

She said the restaurant was already receiving forward bookings through to March from international visitors.

“We’re seeing people planning their New Zealand holidays around dining at Michelin-recognised restaurants,” she said.

Levy said Inati has increased staffing, is opening later during winter and has been able to retain staff throughout the traditionally quieter season.

She said increased restaurant demand was also flowing down to its suppliers.

Auckland’s Ahi has been fully booked every day since the Michelin announcement, according to co-owner Chris Martin.

He said website traffic increased so dramatically in the first week that its web developer initially thought the site was being hit by bots.

Martin said the restaurant recorded its busiest July and was tracking towards a record August, and staffing had increased to meet demand.

International payoff may take longer

One of Tourism NZ’s central arguments for investing in the Michelin Guide was its ability to influence international travellers – but luxury inbound tourism agency Southern Crossings said it had not yet seen a significant surge in overseas clients changing their itineraries to dine at Michelin restaurants.

Director Sarah Farag said that was not surprising because New Zealand was a long-haul destination for most of its customers and bookings were made well in advance.

“I think the true impact will become more apparent over the coming summer months.”

Southern Crossings said the Michelin guide is bringing more recognition to our main cities.

She said they had noticed increased interest and bookings for Queenstown’s ROKI Collection since Essence received its two stars.

Farag said Michelin already provided a globally understood “seal of endorsement” when the company recommended New Zealand restaurants to food-focused travellers.

Most Southern Crossings clients came from the United States, followed by markets including Britain, Europe, Mexico and South America.

Farag said Michelin could also provide another argument for keeping travellers in cities longer – for example, suggesting a client spend an additional night in Auckland and dine at a starred restaurant.

But for now, she viewed Michelin as enhancing destinations clients were already considering rather than fundamentally changing their itineraries.

Kate Rickard is an Auckland-based journalist for Newstalk ZB covering tourism, immigration, social issues and general news. She previously studied journalism at AUT before joining ZB in April 2025.