Originally published in the Waikato Times, including video, Saturday 26 August 2023
By Mike Mather
He has the office with the best view in town, but if Fosters Construction crane operator Adrian Flay needs something like, say, a good, strong cup of coffee, a little innovation is required. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
The construction crew building the new Waikato Regional Theatre in downtown Hamilton are giving numerous nearby businesses a financial pick-me-up.
Now one of those businesses is returning the favour with a literal pick-me-up in the form of coffee deliveries for the Foster Construction crane operators doing the picking up and putting down at the theatre site.
The coffee is brewed by Maria Senear, who runs The River Kitchen café directly across the road.
“I do really feel for the crane drivers,” she said. “In the mornings I watch them climbing up to their cabs. And once they are up there, that usually means they have to stay up there for a long time.”
And that means if the operators need something - say, a good, strong cup of coffee - then a little innovation is required.
Maria Senear from The River Kitchen brings caffeinated goodness for the Fosters crew - who go to great lengths to ensure no member of the team misses out. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
It’s probably the only coffee delivery in Hamilton that gets to the customer via a steel cage high in the air.
The “coffee to the cranes” plan was the brainchild of Colin Hancock, the owner of neighbouring business Trek ‘n’ Travel.
“It was a situation where I thought ‘Now, here’s something we could have a bit of fun with’ - a bit of lightheartedness. Maria was fully on board and after a little hesitation [Fosters site manager] Dave Middlemiss was too.”
From the seats in front of his store, Hancock has a front row view of the theatre site, and he is looking forward to watching it slowly take shape before his eyes.
Nico Mecchia prepares to make a high-level coffee delivery, with assistance from Justin Nanai. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
“This here has been amazing. I can’t speak more highly of the whole initiative. Once they really get above ground it is going to become more and more interesting. Right now it is still digging and welding and lots of pouring of concrete.”
While the 60-strong crew building the new theatre did not account for many of his customers, “it’s been great having them here. The more people we have walking around the street, the nicer it makes it”.
“We really experienced it briefly during the [women’s football] World Cup, all these wonderful people from everywhere just milling around. I hope it becomes the norm again.”
Senear was also effusive in her praise for the theatre workers, who had helped her during a financially difficult time.
Up, up and away. A good cup of coffee can give you a real lift. And sometimes it can happen the other way around. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
“Those guys across the road are amazing. We do get a few of them coming over for coffee or a bacon buttie in the mornings. Sometimes we would open up early so they could come over and have breakfast.
“They are little gentlemen in fluro suits. They remind me of the Doozers from the show Fraggle Rock. They are all really good dudes.”
Senear said her business was currently taking a short break and would soon to revert to its original moniker - The River Kitchen - after a recent renaming to The Sconery did not prove to be as successful as envisaged.
“The River Kitchen is a good brand. That’s what it comes down to. It’s what our customers recognise and it’s what they want. And at the end of the day, you have to pay the bills.”
And here you go: Crane operator Adrian Flay takes delivery of a coffee from Nico Mecchia, in the cage. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
Having 60 people employed nearby was helping other businesses at the southern end of Victoria St pay their bills - not least the dairies and eateries like the Collingwood Lunch Bar and Bakery on Collingwood St, and Victoria Kebab on Victoria St.
“It’s been really good having them nearby, they come in all the time,” said Charlotte Gernhoefer, who manages the Vice Vape Co store.
“They are really respectful - they always take their boots off at the door so they don’t bring mud inside.”
Like Senear, Gernhoefer said the store was experiencing challenging times. Foot traffic at that end of Victoria St had dropped off since the Covid pandemic, particularly in the evenings.
Crane driving is by its nature a solitary endeavour. Adrian Flay can’t easily join his colleagues for morning smoko - but he can still enjoy a coffee or a hot chocolate when he really needs to. Photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.
“There’s other issues too. There’s car parks right outside, but they are kind of all being held hostage by the Uber drivers.
“The other big problem is that there used to be a public toilet just over there,” she said, gesticulating in the direction of the former Embassy Park - now subsumed into the theatre construction site.
“We now get people coming in in the evenings, literally begging to use our toilet because there is nowhere around here to pee.”
Trek ‘n’ Travel owner Colin Hancock has a front row seat of the regional theatre build from his store across the street. Photo: MARK TAYLOR / WAIKATO TIMES.
Victoria Kebab owner Mmayank Soni said his eatery had opened about two years ago - roughly when work on the theatre site began in earnest.
“[The construction workers] come in here but perhaps not often. After all, you can’t eat a kebab every day. Most of our customers are lawyers, bankers, and then the construction workers.”
Sal’s Pizza owner Marcus Sonntag said while the theatre builders made up only a small part of his custom, he anticipated that once the theatre opened his store’s fortunes would enjoy a healthy boost.
“I think it should transform this end of town. That’s what we are all hoping for.
“The nightlife has cooled off a lot since Covid, and I think once the doors are opened and they are having shows, there should be a big change.”
Sal's Pizza owner Marcus Sonntag says the construction workers give his pizzeria a helping hand, but he is looking forward to a real boost once the theatre is up and running. Photo:
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / WAIKATO TIMES.