Sixes & Sevens rolls the dice on larger, safe cafe spot
Tuesday, 7 October 2025
After hurdle upon hurdle one of Wellington’s most popular cafes, Sixes & Sevens, has rolled the dice and relocated to a larger site.
The city’s hospo scene remains in flux, with scores of new openings as well as old favourites closing, so owner Rob Crisp acknowledges moving from a site that can squeeze 12 to one that fits 70 is a risk.
“Staying at the old site that wasn’t serving us was a gamble. Playing the waiting game was a gamble. Banks make you create business plans and cash-flow forecasts … and it’s all a guess.”
In the week since opening at the former Mojo cafe at One Market Lane, turnover has doubled.
Crisp was “happily surprised” by the early influx of customers.
The reason to move was “multifaceted”, he said.
“It’s been a struggle since day one. We were three months into it back in 2015 and Mojo opened a gorgeous shop at St James [theatre] … it cut our business in half. Not long after we had the Kaikōura earthquakes ‒ that cleared out half the buildings opposite us, and cut us in half again. Then Covid came along … it was rough, that left a big scar.”
Crisp also said the part of town where Sixes was just two weeks ago, the Courtney Place/Taranaki St intersection, was no longer safe for customers or his staff.
“There was constant drug use behind the cafe. You shouldn’t have to step over someone smoking P to get to work … staff shouldn’t have to lock themselves in their staff room to feel safe.”
He ended up buying a “poo shovel” to clean up faeces.
The customer market had also shifted significantly, with more and more central city workers choosing to work from home.
When The Post visits the new venue is bright, cosy and filled with a hubbub of customers and the constant gurgle of a steam wand.
Crisp hoped it would encourage other business owners to make the changes they felt were needed to keep their doors open.
“A lot of the time, business owners are just too scared to change because everyone else isn’t changing. But they need to because right now it’s unsustainable out there. Things will get better and when that happens, we’ll be here.”