Essential Safety Guidance for Hospitality Venues

Hospitality venues are vibrant public spaces where people gather to eat, drink, and celebrate. While we want our venues to feel welcoming and safe, it’s important to be prepared for unlikely emergency situations.

The New Zealand Police have launched a national safety campaign called Escape. Hide. Tell, designed to help Kiwis know what to do during an armed offender incident in a crowded place.

As hospitality operators, you manage spaces where the public gathers—restaurants, bars, cafés, hotels, and event venues. Being prepared and ensuring your team knows how to respond in an emergency is a duty of care to staff and guests.

While armed offender incidents in crowded places are rare in New Zealand, having a plan can save lives.

The Three Simple Steps: Escape. Hide. Tell.

If an armed offender incident occurs, remember these three words:

1. ESCAPE – Move quickly and quietly away from danger, but only if it is safe to do so.
2. HIDE – Stay out of sight and silence your mobile phone.
3. TELL – Call Police by dialling 111 when it is safe to do so.

Our role in the campaign

Restaurant Association of New Zealand is proud to be part of the Crowded Place Strategy Group, which helped support the development of this important campaign. Hospitality venues play a vital role in community safety, and we’re committed to providing our members with the tools and resources they need to prepare.

Escape.Hide.Tell Toolkit

We’ve compiled a toolkit to help you and your team prepare, including:

• Trainers Guide explaining the Escape. Hide. Tell steps
• ESCAPE.HIDE.TELL. Conversation guide
• Social media tiles to share with your team and community
• Escape.Hide.Tell posters in 15 languages
• Links to official NZ Police Escape.Hide.Tell website

Taking Action

We encourage you to:

• Share this information with your team during staff meetings or briefings
• Display Escape. Hide. Tell information in staff areas
• Discuss emergency procedures as part of your venue’s safety planning
• Use the social tiles to raise awareness among your customers and community

While we hope you never need to use this knowledge, being prepared gives everyone confidence and could make all the difference in an emergency.

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Learn More

For more information about the campaign, visit the New Zealand Police website.

Shop Small is here! The nationwide campaign – back for its 6^th year – is designed to bring more guests through your doors and highlights the vital role small businesses, including hospitality venues, play in our communities.

Now’s the time to showcase your menu, your service and the unique experience only your venue can deliver.

Restaurant Association partner, Amex is hoping to send more customers your way through a special Shop Small offer. From 1 October to 9 November, eligible Amex Card Members who save the Shop Small offer to their card, will receive $5 back when they spend $10 or more at participating small businesses, up to five times.*

For hospitality businesses, Shop Small is more than a campaign — it’s a reminder that every dollar spent with a small business supports communities, livelihoods and the aspirations of business operators.

The Restaurant Association is proud to support Shop Small. “Small hospitality businesses are the beating heart of our communities – they bring people together, create local jobs and add so much vibrancy to our towns and cities. Initiatives like American Express’ Shop Small movement shine a light on their importance – and that of all small businesses – and help ensure they continue to thrive. We’re pleased to see American Express continuing to back the businesses that make our local communities unique” – Marisa Bidois, Chief Executive of the Restaurant Association of NZ.

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Visit the Shop Small website to learn more.

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*Terms and conditions apply and can be read here.

Shop Small is back soon!

This year, Restaurant Association partner, American Express, is once again encouraging New Zealanders to discover and support their favourite local small businesses. They’re also aiming to drive more customers through your doors through a special Amex Card Member offer. Running from 1 October – 9 November, Shop Small is a great opportunity to showcase what makes your business unique while building new community connections.

If you’re an Amex merchant, you can get ready for Shop Small by ordering free Shop Small signage for your store or downloading Shop Small digital signage for your website.

Visit the Shop Small website to learn more.

Key points:

• Government intends to repeal and replace the Holidays Act 2003. A new Employment Leave Act to be in place before the end of this term.
• A 24-month implementation period is planned after the Employment Leave Bill is passed into law.
• Annual and sick leave will accrue continuously in hours from day one. Leave will also be taken in hours.
• Employees will earn sick leave in direct proportion to their contracted hours.
• Hours worked by casual employees and hours worked over and above contracted hours for other employees will have a front loaded 12.5% compensation payment in lieu of annual and sick leave accrual.

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The Government intends to repeal and replace the Holidays Act 2003 with a new Employment Leave Act.

The Government highlights “The problems with the Act have been well canvassed over the years costing billions in large-scale remediation payments. Employers struggle to understand and apply the Holidays Act correctly, and employees struggle to understand their entitlements.”

Key changes planned:

• Moving to hours-based accrual for sick and annual leave
• Pro rated sick leave
• Compensation payment for casual employees: casual employees will generally see an increase to their pay by receiving an upfront payment of 12.5% for each hour worked
• Leave compensation payment for additional hours worked: any hours worked on top of contracted hours will not accrue annual or sick leave but workers will receive an upfront payment of 12.5% for each additional hour worked.
• Family violence and bereavement leave: employees will now be able to access bereavement leave and family violence leave from the first day of employment. 
• Returning from parental leave: new parents will receive their full pay for annual leave when they return from parental leave.
• Mandatory pay statements: employers will be required to provide clear pay statements each pay period, itemising pay and leave in a way that’s transparent and easy to understand.  
• Cashing up annual leave: Employees will be able to cash up 25 per cent of their total annual leave balance each year.

The Association’s view is that this is a significant step forward in addressing some long-standing issues that have affected both employees and employers across the country. This news will come as a relief to many of our members who were engaged in targeted consultation on these reforms.

How does this provide clarity for businesses?

The shift to an hours-based accrual system for sick and annual leave entitlements will provide greater flexibility within a simplified entitlement system. This better reflects the realities of modern-day employment relationships.

Take base leave entitlements for example. Currently:

• Employees are only entitled to four weeks annual leave after working for 12 months;
• Employees are only entitled to sick leave after working for 6 months; and
• Employees can only access bereavement and family violence leave after working for 6 months.

That isn’t how things work in the real world. Many employers make leave available to their teams well in advance of those timelines. However, the administrative burden and calculations required to allocate that leave in advance creates such a headache for our businesses. This is particularly frustrating when different calculations are required for a weeks-based annual leave system, versus a days-based sick leave system.

Under the new system being proposed, from the day they begin work, all employees will be entitled to accrue annual and sick leave. They will also have access to bereavement and family violence leave based on the hours they work.

Hospitality operates on flexibility

One of the benefits of the hospitality industry is our ability to provide flexible arrangements that work for both employers and employees. These changes will better recognise work patterns that go beyond the standard 40-hour work week. There are those in our industry who do not have regular work patterns at all – that is the most important piece to this for our industry.

We look forward to ensuring that the legislation to be introduced is fit for purpose, and to supporting our industry in a smooth transition to the new system.

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Further reading:

• Overhaul of broken Holidays Act on the way – Government announcement
• Hospitality industry welcomes Holidays Act overhaul – Restaurant Association press release
• Holidays Act reform – MBIE

Key points

• Two new residence options for skilled migrants already working in New Zealand have been announced
• Pathways will be introduced mid-2026, with further details coming
• Skilled Work Experience pathway – for those with 5 years total experience, 2 years in NZ at 1.1x median wage
• The pathway recognises practical skills and real-world experience over formal qualifications
• The Restaurant Association is welcoming the changes after years of advocacy, and will monitor implementation closely

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The Restaurant Association is pleased that the government has announced changes aimed at keeping skilled overseas workers who are already contributing to our businesses in New Zealand. The Association has long advocated for immigration pathways that attract, recruit and retain skilled overseas talent to help bolster our domestic staff shortages.

The new Skilled Migrant Category reforms, set to kick in from August 2026, introduce two pathways that could make a real difference for hospitality operators struggling with staffing challenges and skills shortages.

Skilled Work Experience pathway

A new Skilled Work Experience pathway recognises that not all skilled workers need a university degree to add value. If you’ve got talented chefs, restaurant managers, or other skilled team members who’ve been with you for a while, this could introduce a pathway to residency.

The requirements are:

• Migrants must be employed in skilled roles ( ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3)
• Five years of directly relevant work experience overall
• At least two years working in New Zealand earning 1.1 times the median wage

For many hospitality businesses, this means that experienced head chefs, sous chefs, restaurant managers, and other senior team members could have a clear path to residency.

These changes will help ensure experienced workers can help to upskill our domestic hospitality workforce by sharing their skills, without worrying about expiring visas. These changes should help operators retain that institutional knowledge and experience that’s so crucial for maintaining service standards and training the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Final details are still to come

We’ll need to wait almost nine months for these changes to take effect, which is frustrating when businesses are struggling with staffing right now. The Government have also indicated “to ensure the new pathways are focused on where skilled and experienced migrants are most needed, additional eligibility restrictions will be placed on some occupations” and we don’t know what this may look like yet.

The government has also announced other improvements to the existing system:

• Reduced work experience requirements for some current pathways – from a maximum of 3 years to a maximum of 2 years. (This helps improve the international competitiveness of the SMC settings.)
• Increased points for New Zealand university-level qualifications, making it easier for graduates to transition to residence.
• Removal of the increased wage rate requirement, meaning workers need to maintain median wage levels rather than meeting higher thresholds when applying.

For hospitality operators, this represents a shift towards recognising practical skills and real-world experience – something our industry has been calling for and will help us to build a sustainable workforce. These changes recognize that skilled, experienced workers who’ve already proven themselves in our market should have a path to stay and continue contributing.

While the finer detail is still to come, after years of advocacy, we’re hopeful we are finally seeing policy that acknowledges the contributions of our industry’s workforce.

The Restaurant Association will continue advocating to ensure these changes deliver real benefits for our members.

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Further reading:

• New residence options to bolster workforce – Government announcement
• Hospitality industry welcomes new pathways to residency for skilled migrants – Restaurant Association press release
• Changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa announced – Immigration New Zealand

The Restaurant Association is welcoming the Government’s announcement of next steps for reforming the Holidays Act.

“Today’s announcement is a significant step forward in addressing the long-standing issues that have affected both employees and employers across the country” says Marisa Bidois, Chief Executive of the Restaurant Association.

“This news will come as a relief to many of our members who were engaged in targeted consultation on these reforms, and were strongly in favour of the hours-based accrual system proposed.”

Marisa adds that the shift to an hours-based accrual system for sick and annual leave entitlements will provide greater flexibility within a simplified entitlement system, better reflecting the realities of modern-day employment relationships.

“One of the benefits of the hospitality industry is our ability to provide flexible working arrangements that work for both employers and employees, and these changes will better recognise work patterns that go beyond the standard 40-hour work week.” Marisa says. “We look forward to ensuring that the legislation to be introduced is fit for purpose, and to supporting our industry in a smooth transition to the new system.”

The Restaurant Association is welcoming the Government’s announcement of changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.  

“We have long advocated for pathways to attract, recruit and retain overseas talent to help bolster our skills shortage in the short term,” says Marisa Bidois, Chief Executive of the Restaurant Association.

“While we are disappointed that we will have to wait almost nine months for these changes to be implemented, these pathways will ensure that those with a wealth of experience in crucial roles can help to upskill our domestic hospitality workforce by sharing their skills, without worrying about expiring visas.”

The Skilled Work Experience pathway will provide a pathway to residency for migrants in skilled roles who have at least five years of directly relevant work experience, including at least two years of experience in New Zealand where they’ve been paid at least 1.1 times the median wage.

“Staffing challenges and skills shortages, particularly for senior roles, have consistently been one of the most pressing issues raised by our members over recent years” says Marisa. 

“Pathways to residency was also a key identified at our 2024 Hospitality Summit, which provided a comprehensive roadmap for addressing key challenges facing New Zealand’s hospitality industry, so we are pleased that these changes are being made.”

The Restaurant Association will closely monitor the implementation of these changes over the coming months to ensure they are fit for purpose and serve the needs of the hospitality industry.

We’ve all seen, and been concerned about, the media attention around the number of restaurants and cafés being liquidated. Inland Revenue have indicated that they’ve increased their debt collection activity, and that’s leading to more liquidations. The expectation is that this activity is going to keep increasing. This article explains the current landscape and provides strategies to manage tax obligations effectively.

The financial picture is sobering. According to Inland Revenue one in five restaurant and cafés have overdue tax debt. The average amount of that debt is over $30k. In total, this is more than $170 million in unpaid taxes – a lot of which is PAYE and GST, which Inland Revenue have indicated they are focused on recovering. 

According to Inland Revenue they have also significantly increased their investigations and auditing. They have indicated that they’re focused on those who are actively trying to avoid their taxes – rather than the majority of operators who are, or trying to do, things right.

Triggers for IRD investigations

Sometimes action is instigated due to tip-offs received. Inland Revenue say that the tip-offs can come from a variety of sources, including from:

• customers saying the restaurant doesn’t always have a working POS device, and they suspect it isn’t reporting their cash income
• ex-employees complaining about the use of cash to pay migrant labour under-the-table, while not paying the PAYE. (This is often identified when one of those employees needs proof of income, and Inland Revenue has no record of it.)
• a person who knows a lot about the business owner, and how they spend their money – detailing holidays or large private expenses that don’t seem to match up with their income.

However, for the most part, when operators get in difficulty with debt, Inland Revenue identify that it is often a result of not keeping up with record-keeping, or, when cashflow management has become a challenge. Inland Revenue say they understand provisional tax can be hard to get right sometimes, but if GST and PAYE isn’t being passed on, business owners should consider seeking financial advice – noting that not paying PAYE is a criminal offence with some potentially severe consequences.

Options available for those who are struggling

If anyone is struggling to pay tax debts right now, Inland Revenue have indicated that they’re willing to help. Options available include:

• Setting up an instalment arrangement to pay off over time. This can be done by going to your myIR account and selecting ‘Request an instalment arrangement’ under the ‘I want to …’ column.
• If there’s no way a debt can be paid off, talk to your accountant as they may be able to negotiate something with Inland Revenue, or provide other options for managing the debt.

Hospitality is facing genuine challenges right now. If you’re concerned about being able to meet tax obligations, the key is to act early rather than hoping the problem will resolve itself when things get better. Inland Revenue has indicated they’re willing to work with businesses that engage proactively about their situation. So, if you do find yourself in difficulty the key is that the sooner you reach out – whether directly or through your accountant – the more options that will likely be available.

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Additional links:

• Inland Revenue funding to be used to support compliance
• Tax evasion software prompts warning from IRD
  

By Chand Sahrawat, Life Coach and founder Goal Getters NZ, director at Cassia, The French Cafe and Cassia at home

Tough economic times challenge all of us in hospitality, but they also present a chance to deepen customer relationships and future-proof your restaurant. Here are three strategies we’ve been using at The French Café that are helping us navigate today’s climate.

1. Empathise with the customer

Our guests are feeling the same cost-of-living pressures we are. Discretionary spending is hard to justify, and competition for their dollar is fierce. Instead of relying solely on discounting heavily on third-party platforms to attract strangers, giving away our margins, we decided to focus on rewarding regulars. We brought back our popular “8 courses for $80” offer from Sidart that we had on every Tuesday during the GFC, giving loyal diners a special experience at a price they can still justify.

This is also the time to grow your database. Legacy restaurants aren’t built overnight; they grow through consistent connection. Reward subscribers by giving them early access to special events and menu previews before promoting them publicly. This not only builds loyalty but also helps fill seats with people who are most likely to return.

2. Market authentically and diversely

Today’s consumers are bombarded with marketing, so authenticity matters more than ever. Go beyond simply posting deals, share your story, your challenges, and your passion. LinkedIn is a surprisingly powerful platform for connecting with the right demographic, but it works best when you engage genuinely, not just advertise. Facebook foodie groups like Lazy Susan and platforms like TikTok can help you reach niche or younger audiences, just be sure your voice feels personal and not “salesy.”

3. Collaborate to Create Buzz

Partnerships are an excellent way to expand your reach and give customers a reason to dine out. We collaborated with Chef Peter Gordon after Homeland closed, offering his fans a chance to experience his food again and bringing a sense of occasion to our dining room. We also partnered with Peach’s Hot Chicken for a one-off Lazy Sunday event with a DJ, a completely different vibe from our usual fine dining experience. Both events sold out quickly, brought in new diners, and even re-energised our staff, who loved the change of pace. We now plan on doing one event a month to create a reason for our regulars to dine with us again, and it refreshes our team with new learning.

These initiatives remind people why dining out is special. If we stay creative now, we’ll build a stronger, more loyal customer base ready to support us when the economy rebounds.

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Further reading by Chand:

• The importance of business health checks

Check out:

• Goal Getters NZ
• Cassia
• The French Cafe

The Restaurant Association is welcoming the $70 million investment announced by the Government to boost major events and tourism projects. This investment will be much-needed injection into the New Zealand economy and a vital boost for our hospitality businesses currently navigating some of the toughest trading conditions in years.

The package, announced on Sunday 14 September, includes:

• a $40 million Events Attraction Package to secure large-scale international events from 2026.
• a $10 million Events Boost Fund to support existing events and attract international opportunities.
• a $10 million Regional Tourism Boost Campaign to incentivise international visitors.

The Restaurant Association welcomes the investment, which aims to attract more large-scale events to New Zealand, allowing us to better compete with Australia and other international markets. This will help support local jobs, stimulate economic activity, and bring vibrancy back to city centres and tourism hotspots.

Major events create vital flow-on effects, filling restaurants, bars and cafes with domestic and international visitors and with our industry currently facing rising costs and reduced consumer spending, this funding provides much-needed stimulus to drive foot traffic. This is exactly the kind of support our industry needs right now. From global sporting tournaments, to major concerts, these events bring diners and economic activity to struggling city centres.

In addition, the Regional Tourism Boost marketing campaign fund is a welcome boost to support regions to attract more international visitors to travel, stay and dine in New Zealand in 2026.

The Association looks forward to working alongside event organisers and government partners to ensure that hospitality businesses can fully capitalise on the opportunities this funding unlocks.

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More reading:

• Restaurant Association Press Release – Restaurant Association welcomes $70M events sector boost as vital lifeline for hospitality
• Government Press Release – Next level boost for Major Events and Tourism
• MBIE – More information about the Tourism and Events package

The Restaurant Association is welcoming the Government’s $70 million investment into the events sector, calling it a much-needed injection into the New Zealand economy and a vital boost for hospitality businesses currently navigating some of the toughest trading conditions in years.

“This is exactly the kind of support our industry needs right now,” said Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association. “Major events have a proven flow-on effect for the hospitality sector, filling our restaurants, bars and cafes with both domestic and international visitors.”

The investment aims to attract more large-scale events to New Zealand, allowing us to better compete with Australia and other international markets. The Restaurant Association says this will help support local jobs, stimulate economic activity, and bring vibrancy back to city centres and tourism hotspots.

“We’ve seen firsthand the power of major events, from top music acts to global sporting tournaments like the Women’s Football World Cup and the Rugby World Cup. These events don’t just bring fans, they bring diners, spenders, and stories that ripple across our entire sector.”

With hospitality businesses under pressure from reduced consumer spending and rising costs, the Restaurant Association says this funding couldn’t come at a better time.

“Operators are doing it tough right now. Rising costs and lower discretionary spend are creating significant headwinds. Stimulus that drives foot traffic and brings in high-value visitors is a welcome move,” Bidois said.

She added: “This is also part of the wider roadmap we’ve been collaborating on with government, so it’s encouraging to see cross-sector planning coming to fruition. Strategic investment like this plays an important role in getting our economy, and our industry, back on track.”

The Association looks forward to working alongside event organisers and government partners to ensure that hospitality businesses can fully capitalise on the opportunities this funding unlocks.

August 2025

 

Tēnā koe,

Restaurant Association of New Zealand feedback on the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime’s options paper on anti-social behaviour around retail settings

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant Association) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the options paper on anti-social behaviour provided by the Ministerial Advisory Group – Retail Crime (MAG).

Since 1972, the Restaurant Association has worked to offer advice, help and assistance in every facet of the vibrant and diverse hospitality industry, covering the length and breadth of the country. We’re passionate about our vibrant industry, which is full of interesting, talented and entrepreneurial people.

We agree with the MAG that the status quo is inadequate to address the recurring anti-social behaviour being experienced in and around retail settings, and that continuing with the status quo is unlikely to achieve the MAG’s overarching aim of creating a zero-tolerance response to retail crime.

Feedback from our members

The Restaurant Association conducts regular surveys of our membership, and in recent years has conducted periodical snapshot surveys on safety and security. In the six months to March 2025, 36.4 percent of those who responded to our survey indicated that their business had been the victim of a crime — a slight increase from our survey conducted in 2024 (33.3 percent).

Of note however is the significant increase in anti-social behaviour being identified as a crime experienced by our members – where burglary or robbery made up the majority of identified crime (37.5 percent) in 2024, anti-social behaviour became the largest type of crime experienced by our members (28.57 percent) in 2025, more than double its prevalence in 2024 (12.5 percent). A summary table of the types of crime experienced by our members is available at appendix 1.

Option 1: move-on orders

The Restaurant Association supports the creation of a legal framework for ‘move-on’ orders, including the proposed grounds, safeguards and limitations. It is important that these orders are developed properly to ensure that truly anti-social behaviour is able to be addressed swiftly, in a manner proportional to the behaviour being exhibited.

We also support the enablement of trained Council by-law enforcement officers to issue move-on orders. Consistent feedback from members is that it is common for police to not attend call-outs, or where they did attend, there was little that could be done because of their delays.

Further, we recognise the reservations expressed by some Councils that move-on enforcement by their officers could result in increased violence against their staff. We note that a further option being proposed is to provide additional powers for Councils, and submit that while additional powers and training can and should be provided, it should not be required of Councils to act. The responsibility for addressing crime first and foremost should rest with police, and the issues experienced by businesses when engaging with police should be addressed directly, rather than creating a pseudo-police force by requiring Council officers to act.

Option 2: new criminal offences

The Restaurant Association strongly supports the introduction of a criminal offence for assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker, as well as allowing for aggravation of that offence where a retail worker is enforcing a statutory restriction.

As the largest representative body for the food and beverage service industry, we take our role in the responsible service of alcohol seriously. However, it is not uncommon for service staff to be at best criticised, and at worst abused, for simply doing their job — for example, stopping service of alcohol in line with requirements in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.

We agree that creating this criminal offence would be a powerful signal that any abuse towards our staff is not tolerated, and reinforce industry efforts to holistically reform perception of service industries, which are often seen as unskilled, low-value or low-status.

Option 3: additional powers for councils

As mentioned above, we support the enablement of Councils to enforce their by-laws, with the caveat that discretion on whether or not to act must rest with the Council, and the ultimate responsibility for enforcement must remain with police.

Option 4: geographic bans

The Restaurant Association recognises the intent behind this proposal, however at present there is not enough detail on how a designated or pre-defined zone would be determined, and are concerned that this proposal takes a blanket approach to solving an issue caused by a minority of individuals. We submit that time and resources would be better invested in ensuring more targeted measures are effectively implemented.

Option 5: government action plan

The Restaurant Association supports the development of a government action plan to address anti-social behaviour in retail settings, and submits that the priority for any such plan must be on measures to prevent and address the root causes of anti-social behaviour, rather than focusing on a punitive approach once the behaviour has already taken place. We also question whether this is the best use of time and resources, given a plan on its own will not be effective, and the wider set of actions required to put such a plan in place would detract resources from the more targeted measures that require effective implementation.

Option 6: court-issued civil orders

The Restaurant Association does not support the adoption of this proposal at this time. There is no evidence available to support its efficacy, and the lengths of time required to process court orders render them ineffective in urgently responding to anti-social behaviour.

Conclusion

While the options proposed address anti-social behaviour in retail settings after the behaviour occurs, we submit that further work should also be undertaken to prevent such behaviour from happening in the first place. Feedback from our members regularly calls for greater preventative measures, in particular through increased foot patrols and presence from police, particularly at night, and more comprehensive coverage of CCTV monitoring.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the MAG’s anti-social behaviour options paper. We would be happy to discuss any part of this submission in more detail, and to provide any assistance that you may require.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois

Chief Executive

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Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime

More submissions by the Restaurant Association can be accessed here.