KIND Cafe & Eatery has closed its doors. Photo: Instagram/Kind Morningside
The economy's not been kind to a popular Auckland cafe founded on the principals of compassion and tolerance.
KIND Cafe & Eatery shut up shop on Monday after serving the Morningside community in Auckland for seven years, due to spiralling costs and excessive rent.
It's name was inspired by the quote from Dame Jacinda Ardern that "you can be strong and you can be kind". The former Prime Minister even took American show host Stephen Colbert to the cafe while he was filming in New Zealand in 2019.
The cafe started as mainly vegan, but last year introduced meat to the menu in a bid to stay afloat.
Owners Cathie and Nigel Cottle announced the cafe's closure on social media on Monday.
"We have been going backwards for too long, hoping things will change but they haven't, they aren't," the post said.
Nigel Cottle told Checkpoint there was an outpouring of support from customers after the announcement.
He said since the Covid-19 pandemic, costs have spiralled, but not just for businesses.
"We can't charge more dollars... and people just have less money to spend."
Stephen Colbert and Jacinda Ardern at KIND Cafe & Eatery. Photo: Instagram/Kind Morningside
Nigel Cottle said the model of a full service cafe is shifting. He said big groups of customers are buying a coffee and a muffin, as opposed to a full breakfast.
"The model of a full service cafe, I think that season is gone. It's more cheaper [food] and quick things," he said.
"The importance of hospitality, the importance of going out, is less... Now it's like 'I'm just going to have a coffee and a muffin'."
Nigel and Cathie Cottle are also behind Crave Cafe, which is a charitable cafe where the profits go back into the Morningside community.
"But you've got to make a profit to give anything back, and it's been a couple of years now of very dire times. So, we are now making some big changes there."
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