Te Kawe Ratu (Tūhoe), owner of small food business "Da Hāngī Pit" is offering a slice of the 'business pie' to whānau Māori - franchising his food stalls for a one time only offer.
He says this gesture of love is to help whānau who are recovering from the economic effects of lockdown.
With hāngī, seafood-chowder, creamed pāua and raw fish on the menu, Ratu says he is selling out within the hour in almost every city he parks up in.
Being an advocate for te reo, as an incentive, he gives away free kai to those who make their orders in te reo.
“Money is not the main thing here. Some people order a lot, so I give them some free food, and also if they order in our ancestral language,” says Ratu.
Da Hāngī Pit in Ngāruawāhia - Photo / File
Currently making between $1,000 - $2,000 per day, the business owner says potential franchisees will receive a van and food trailer with their 30k investment - equipped with EFTPOS till along with food licences needed for their district and, of course, the equipment to prepare and serve the kai.
"We know that our people love to eat their food. So I thought, why don't I make more of these food stalls available for them to run themselves," he says.
The Da Hāngī Pit menu - Photo / File
As a result of his rapid sales, Ratu expressed on Facebook on Tuesday evening that he is looking for new workers to help keep up with the demand for his service, offering minimum wage ($18.90 p/hr).
"This is a pathway to help our iwi and families, the main thing is that we help pour homeless and impoverished families and elderlies, but our youth are the main priority."