A Timaru restaurant has reopened five months after closing, but one of the owners says it’s still on the market.
Naruwan, an Asian fusion restaurant on George St, closed in April to allow restaurant director Sunny Wen to return to Taiwan for medical checkupswith the owners announcing in January that the company was up for sale after a tumultuous few years and Wen’s ill health.
Wen was joined by husband Max Muldrew and daughter Sunny Lin who also work at the restaurant.
The restaurant’s reopening is one of many changes to Timaru’s hospitality industry this week, with yet another owner and cafe up for sale.
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Lin said the family’s restaurant, which they opened in 2017, was still for sale because it would be “better for my mom to retire.”
“It’s kind of sad to let it go, but we’ve tried to reopen it, but my mother’s health isn’t getting any better,” she said.
“Before we sell, we’re still serving, and we’re still opening the doors. We have loyal customers, and we’re happy to see them and serve them.”
The restaurant was closed for a year from March 2020 to March 2021.
Naruwan closes every year during Chinese New Year “to go back and see family”, but in 2020, shortly after the family returned to Taiwan, they were cut off from New Zealand.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Max Muldrew, left, Sunny Wen and Angel Lim at the Timaru restaurant on Friday.
“A few days later New Zealand announced the lockdown, it was shocking, we couldn’t come back,” said Lin.
“We were stuck in Taiwan, the border was closed, we were stuck for eight months.”
Despite not knowing when they would be able to come home, Lin said “it was nice to be in Taiwan for so long”. If the company sells, she hopes to return there permanently, while Wen will split her time “half and half” between Timaru and Taiwan.
“New Zealand is still home, but Taiwan is still home,” Wen said.
Wen moved to New Zealand 18 years ago and chose Timaru over a bigger city because it would encourage her to learn the language better.
“If you come to the small towns, you have to learn English.”
“Timaru people have been good to us, so we were happy to stay here,” Wen said.
After the reopening on Thursday night, some customers had already returned twice and told Wen that they will come in every day.
“It wasn’t busy compared to before, but nice to see customers coming back,” she said.
John Bisset/Stuff
Kristy Phillips owned Timaru’s Zest restaurant for 13 years.
Both Lin and Wen worked in the restaurant when it belonged to Cheng and have met many people.
“We have made many friends because of the company.
“We are very happy that we know a lot of customers and become friends, that’s the best, that will be the memory we will miss,” said Lin.
Lin said it was difficult to find and keep staff in the current climate, and had noticed “many cafes and restaurants closed” since his return.
One of those cafes that is now closed is Stafford St’s Yellow Door Cafe.
Now on the market, Stu Piddington, Harcourts’ agent for the listing, said the cafe is under contract.
“A few conditions are ticked off.
“I can confirm next week if it goes through,” said Piddington.
Meanwhile, Timaru’s Zest Restaurant has also recently changed hands, with former owners Kristy and Grant Phillips finishing on September 18.
In a post on social media, they thanked customers for the past 13 years.
“We feel privileged to have been part of so many of your stories, celebrations and life moments,” the post says.
“There are so many memories that we will take with us when we are done.”