The lockdown period proved to be doubly problematic for Takapuna’s iconic beachside cafe, the Takapuna Beach Cafe & Store. During level four they had a water pipe burst which caused extensive damage to the interior of the cafe.

The setback has not deterred popular business owner James Bryant. They were back open when level three came along and have been serving their loyal customers ever since.

"We are open for takeaway coffee and pastries, with the option to pre-order online,” explained James when we popped in for a chat in early June. "There is deck seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.”

With level one here James is making some changes to the Takapuna Beach Cafe offering.

"We have been operating a takeaway 'coffee corner’ in levels two and three, however this will change to a coffee cart in the coming weeks due to the renovations which are now under way. These renovations are quite extensive but we are planning to re-open the full cafe by September.

"We will also start to accept reusable cups again and add more deck seating for level one as we get busier.”

Takapuna Beach Cafe is loved by locals and is a destination cafe for visitors to the area. There is probably no better spot for a cafe in New Zealand. It’s great that James and his team are overcoming their adversity and keeping things going despite the chaos of the past few months.

Keep an eye out for their coffee cart in coming weeks and we all look forward to the full cafe opening in September – with a fresh new look and all the old favourites!

Takapuna Beach Cafe & Store – The Promenade, Takapuna Beach.