A crowd of loyal Minos customers enjoy the 40th birthday party. Photos supplied
A firmly established favourite restaurant for many east Aucklanders is celebrating its 40th birthday.
Minos Restaurant, which specialises in pizza and Italian and Mediterranean cuisine and serves up its delicious offerings from its Cook Street premises in Howick Village, is “a place woven into thousands of family stories, celebrations, and traditions”, says owner Rohan Jhote.
“We feel incredibly privileged to be a part of its story. Minos has never been ‘just’ a restaurant, it has been a living piece of Howick’s identity since 1985.
“We’re the fifth owners in Minos’ 40-year journey, and stepping into this legacy was both humbling and overwhelmingly meaningful.
“Before becoming owners, both Ahan and I spent over a decade working in Howick hospitality, and we also own Rombus Café and Bar.
“Even then, Minos always stood out to us, a small Italian restaurant with an unmatched reputation, beloved by locals across every generation.
“Customers would come into Rombus and rave about Minos, and never once did we imagine that one day we would have the honour of being its caretakers.
“That’s exactly how we see our role: caretakers of a legacy, responsible for protecting what people love about Minos while guiding it into a new chapter.”
Jhote says they “quickly realised the weight of what we had inherited” when taking over.
“A successful, iconic institution comes with great responsibility. Our immediate goal was simple but ambitious: serve exceptional food, offer heartfelt service, and keep Minos accessible, even during some of the toughest economic periods our industry has ever faced.”
He says the emotional part of the four-decade anniversary has been hearing people’s Minos stories.
“We’ve met customers who celebrated their 16th birthdays here and are now dining in their 50s with their grandchildren.
“People had first dates and anniversaries here, and countless families say, ‘Minos feels like home’.
“Very few businesses stand the test of time in this way, and Minos has.”
It took a short time to understand the restaurant’s culture, Jhote says.
“As Ahan often says, it took us six months to truly understand the soul of Minos; what to change, and more importantly, what never to change.
“Our approach was never to reinvent Minos, but to refine, honour, and elevate it.”
He adds their vision remains clear: “To continue delivering beautiful, authentic Italian dishes, warm hospitality, and an atmosphere that feels personal, familiar, and full of heart.”
Restaurant manager Yam says: “Working at Minos fills me with joy and purpose. Serving our Howick community Italian flavours means sharing a piece of my heart on every plate.”
Jhote says looking forward, the dream is to carry Minos beyond a single location.
“If the community chooses, supports and blesses us the way they have so far, we hope to see Minos grow into multiple locations in Auckland, and one day, perhaps even across New Zealand and Australia.
“Not to become a chain, but to become a symbol of what community-built, community-loved hospitality can look like.
“In every way, Minos does not belong to us. Minos belongs to Howick.
“To the people who built it, worked in it, returned to it, celebrated in it, and kept it alive for 40 beautiful years.
“Our role is simply to honour that legacy and ensure it thrives for the next 40.”
Dining and Cooking