Two lattes for seven bucks. That was all Andrew Kennedy sold one day in winter 2005, not long after he bought an underdeveloped beachfront cafe in Waihi Beach called Flatwhite.
"We're doing a lot better than that now," he says. "We're one of the few absolute beachfront venues in New Zealand and sustainability has always been part of our mantra."
Sustainability has always been part of our mantra.
Flatwhite won the Business Sustainability Award (sponsored by EECA) at the 2020 Westpac Tauranga Business Awards. The business was also a finalist in Business of the Year, Customer Experience and Service Excellence awards. The Business Sustainability Award was judged on both the environmental and business aspects of sustainability.
"To win was totally unexpected because when you work in a business all the time you can't see the wood for the trees," says Kennedy. "It was nice to represent small town New Zealand because businesses in small towns rarely get a lot of recognition. We're at the edge of civilization and we have to do things better and work harder to make the business work. That doesn't mean we can't do our bit for the planet at the same time.
"Waihi Beach is a stunning part of the world and because we're right on the beach, I've always been very conscious of the responsibility to protect what we have here. We started off like many cafes by using less plastic and disposable cups. We've always been very deliberate about generating less rubbish and buying local produce and a lot of people who have worked with me over the years have joined the crusade and gone on to set up sustainable businesses themselves."
People like Amber and Josh from Freelove Farms who promote a permaculture lifestyle in Athenree and Paul and Vicky McFarlane from Paulo Farms. They take most of Flatwhite's paper, food waste and coffee grinds and use it for composting. In return, they supply Flatwhite with locally grown, organic vegetables.
"The rest of the food goes to our pigs and gets recycled back into the freezer," says Kennedy. "It's the circle of life, right? We try and support local businesses as much as possible which everyone should be doing. The Surf Shack is another great business in Waihi Beach and the owners Jo and Pippa are very passionate about the environment. We've been talking to them about a beach wide project to promote Waihi Beach as an environmental oasis. That could be our point of difference."
The realisation that looking after the environment could also be good for business is something Flatwhite and Waihi Beach shares with the wider Bay of Plenty region.
Bay of Good Hope
At the end of 2020, the Bay of Plenty became the first New Zealand region named in the Green Destinations Top 100 list, recognising the top 100 most sustainable destinations in the world. The list is selected by a Dutch non-profit using several criteria including destination management, the natural setting and programmes to protect culture and social wellbeing in tourism hot spots.
"Tourism Bay of Plenty is focused on a future for tourism that contributes to our people and place," says Kristin Dunne, Chief Executive of TBOP. "To help us on this journey, we have applied to become a certified ECO Destination, region wide. The ECO Destination Program is a recognisable, trusted guide for travelers that approves destinations committed to sustainable practices, and quality, nature-based tourism experiences."
"The health and protection of our planet should be everyone's priority, including the community and public and private sectors. We are working in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders to champion sustainability and our long-term focus is on tourism that contributes to environmental regeneration."
"Tourism Bay of Plenty's long-term focus is on tourism that contributes to environmental regeneration. To achieve lasting tourism value, the right balance must be achieved between the impact of tourism on the environment, respecting our residents' quality of life, honouring our Māori culture, and adding value to our economy."
Start small, think big
A possum plucker may not be the first thing you think of when you think of sustainability but it reflects Flatwhite's determination to give back to the local community and do their bit for the environment at the same time.
"Possum fur sells for around $100 a kilo so each possum can be worth $15 - $18," explains Kennedy. "We spent $2500 on a possum plucker for the local school as a way to help them with their fundraising. It also helps keep the possum population down which is a good thing for everybody. Waihi Beach is surrounded by bush. If you keep the possums down then it gives the birds a chance to thrive and enhances the natural environment."
"We want to take a holistic view in terms of how we can make Waihi Beach more sustainable. We need to educate visitors not to litter and to take their rubbish home with them. We need to support local businesses. And we do our best at Flatwhite to walk the walk not just talk the talk."
"When we did a major rebuild of the cafe in 2015 we used recycled timber from a local dairy factory that had been demolished. We do lots of other little things that all add up and we're always thinking about what else we can do. We invest in energy efficient technology and are very conscious of not wasting energy. We've got a trash compactor. We've got rid of plastic bottles from our fridge and use Karma Drinks instead of Coca-Cola and we don't use any plastic takeaway packaging. It's all about improving the quality of life in Waihi Beach. If I can use Flatwhite as a platform to do that, then I'm all in."