Key takeaways

If you have an idea for a side business that can be used to supplement your main business, why wouldn’t you?

If your staff have down time, ask them to get involved in your side business if they have the skills.

A flourishing market garden side business is keeping Hawke’s Bay eatery, St Georges Restaurant healthy at a time when many hospitality businesses are struggling.

Kat and Francky Godinho bought St Georges Restaurant, out of Havelock North 12 years ago, working to rebuild its reputation and today it is a smart farm-to-table restaurant and venue.

The award-winning Francky heads the kitchen team while Kat leads front of house operations, weddings and events, on-site and off-site, with a total staff of 12.

Their mission from the outset has been to make the business sustainable, says Francky. “The hospitality business can be very fragile. And we’re a destination, we’re not in the main town.”

A thriving market garden provides sustainability to this business

An increasingly profitable side business that Francky works on with a business partner is a big contributor to making St Georges sustainable. The chef, who grew up on a farm in Goa, in India leases a 10-acre piece of land a couple of kilometers away from the restaurant, with business partner Abdul Kahn.

“We grow four different varieties of beetroot, capsicum, chilis, butternut pumpkin, cauliflower, coriander and more,” says the chef. The growers supply Auckland’s Savor Group, which includes Amano among its restaurants. Francky and Kahn have also been supplying Hawke’s Bay winery, Craggy Range for the past four years.

There’s also a large greenhouse with 800 tomato plants of different varieties including 17 heritage tomatoes. These and other vegetables are sent up to The Fresh Market Ellerslie in a chilled truck shared with other Hawke’s Bay producers.

At the same time, Francky produces a range of pickles, fennel jam and other preserves, selling them to locals. These will sell through the Ellerslie market in the future once a brand name is decided on.

Include your staff in your side hustle

“The restaurant staff help with the pickle-making,” says the chef. “The idea is to keep them engaged when the restaurant is slow, otherwise they’ll get bored,” he says. “It’s a win-win situation.”

The extra income from this multi-pronged market garden operation gives the Havelock North restaurant choices.

“This extra income means there’s less financial stress on us. We can afford the best meat, the best fish and, because we’re growing all the vegetables, it all ties together.”

“To be successful at a side business like this, you have to have passion, humility and a community, “ adds Kat. “We have found that good people and the relationships we build are key to success.”

Photo credit: Natalie McNally

Follow this link to see the full article on Stuff: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/350448257/owners-havelock-norths-st-georges-restaurant-have-side-hustle-which-helps-them

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A side hustle that sustains the main business at St Georges Restaurant, Hawke's Bay