Popular Wellington restaurant, Hiakai has announced that it will close it doors in March.
The restaurant, known for its fine dining Māori cuisine, is said to be evolving rather than coming to an end.
Hiakai was founded in 2016 by Monique Fiso and was originally a series of pop-up restaurants that explored Māori and Pasifika ingredients and methods of cooking. The restaurant in its current form was established in 2018, with co-owner and general manager Katie Monteith joining in 2019.
The restaurant has received international acclaim, and is credited for its impact on the dining scene in Wellington. Hiakai has also been referenced as a strong influence for Māori cuisine on a national scale.
Owners of the restaurant said that the world has changed since its doors opened, and so has the concept of the restaurant. It was also discussed that the landscape for owning a small business has become increasingly difficult, and operating a restaurant of Hiakai’s magnitude was consuming. It is said that owners considered 2024 as the right time for a change.
Future projects in the pipeline for Hiakai’s owners include being a part of the solution of New Zealand’s food crisis, especially food security and sovereignty.
Reservations for Hiakai are said to be fully booked until its scheduled closing, with management aware that there will be customers who would like to return who have not yet booked.
The decision to close Hiakai has also coincided with the decision of the building’s landlord to place the facility on the real estate market.
