The render above gives a glimpse as to how Zeta Greek Kitchen’s soon to open stores will look in Australia.
Alhardan said he was looking forward to the expansion, but acknowledged the tough conditions in New Zealand that forced his hand.
“The last couple of years have been really hard. We’re seeing the confidence of people’s spending drop, drop a lot, and at the same time overheads continue to go up,” Alhardan said.
“I thought this time last year that it would get better, and it got worse in terms of cost.
“We’ve been thinking of expanding for a long time, and when we got approached by people from Australia, we thought maybe it is the right time for us to expand abroad.”
Alhardan admitted the number of stores that it planned to open might seem “crazy” but said he had done his homework on similar brands preparing to do the same.
He knew of some brands with similar cuisine that had plans to open 300 stores within the next five to eight years, but said 45 was achievable while still remaining a lot of work.
The first location for the chain’s expansion will be at the Sydney International Airport, set to open by June.
Alhardan said it wasn’t easy to get into the site, but noted it was significantly easier than Auckland International Airport, referencing a 110-page application that needed to be filled in.
He said the airport location would give the brand international exposure, but plans didn’t stop there.
The chain already has five sites in total confirmed, including a site inside the Town Hall Station in Sydney’s central business district (CBD), Melbourne’s CBD, and other airports.
Zeta Greek Kitchen sells a range of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including Greek-style wraps, souvlaki and a selection of sharing plates.
Alhardan said he had been surprised how easy it was to set up a business in Australia compared to New Zealand, suggesting it was 25-30% cheaper to do so.
“I’ve built 55 shops in New Zealand over about 23 years, and it’s cheaper and worth the investment to set up in Australia.”
Perhaps the biggest reason behind the decision, according to Alhardan, has been the mix of poor consumer sentiment alongside rising input costs.
The price of red meat in New Zealand has grown substantially over the last few years, alongside increasing energy and rates bills.
“We’ve been going to Australia to see the people there. You walk into eateries and you see people spending money on food more than once a day. Here they are cutting their spending and deciding to cook at home instead.
“Everyone wants to expand right? Everyone would like their business to grow, but when you hit on a cost pressure, that gives you more reasons to work harder on it.”
Alhardan said he would manage the Australian business from New Zealand and had high hopes for the future.
“This is my first time trying the Australian market, but I think with the plans we’ve put in place I’m confident, and hopefully we’ll go global after that.”
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
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Dining and Cooking