The owner of a container café in Mangawhai has been forced to shut up shop after a shift to serving only plant-based alternatives – a month after the change was first announced.
Morgan Redfern-Hardisty, who ran the popular Cool Beans Café at the Mangawhai Activity Zone was told that the Machawhai Activity Zone Charitable Trust that there were complaints about his decision to stop serving animal products and they have chosen not to renew his contract.
“My intention was to reduce the cafés impact on the environment, provide healthy alternatives and not use or exploit animals in any way,” Redfern said in a video on Facebook. "Some people have complained and it seems like I am not catering to everyone's taste. When it comes down to taste, or suffering, suffering is not worth it."
Colin Gallagher, chairman on the Trust, said that Cool Beans had made the decision to close after refusing to offer "a choice of additives when ordering coffee". Redfern-Hardisty said that he had been warned by the Trust that the decision to shift to plant-based milk would not be “financially wise”, but sales have risen by 25 percent over the last month.
"There is a trend happening worldwide towards more environmental, ethical and health-conscious products, and so when people saw a small cafe like mine make this change they were very supportive,” said Redfern-Hardisty. “I just thought New Zealand is so adaptable."
Cool Beans Café is set to close after Labour Weekend. A petition through change.org to keep the café open has so far gained 2,500 signatures.
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