Let’s ‘go to that place with the truck’, Scoundrel

Wednesday, 20 December 2023

Scoundrel Bar & Eatery on St Asaph St, Christchurch, has been opened recently by a group of hospitality veterans including Six Ounce owners Avi Cohen and Lois Permenter.

“Everything is on show, but nothing is for show,” a new eatery co-owner says.

But that doesn’t apply to the dilapidated 1950s Austin Loadstar taking pride of place in Scoundrel.

The truck loaded with plants and a DJ deck on its rear is going nowhere fast, adding to the decor inside the venue.

A fresh taco line allows punters to see the action on the hot grill.

Nostalgic tables and chairs from the family dining room, velvet couches from Nana’s lounge and more than 100 pot plants add to the industrial-meets-vintage style eatery on Christchurch’s St Asaph St that was once a body shop.

Six Ounce co-owners Lois Parmenter and Avi Cohen have joined forces with several hospitality veterans to bring the team of owners’ vision to life after “putting together what their dream place might be like”, Parmenter said.

The truck paid homage to the eatery’s former purpose, while also giving a point of difference that allowed punters to say, “Shall we go to that place with the truck?”, she said.

There’s a lot more going on though.

The on-site repair shop with its neon sign prompts coffee drinkers to take in their conked out machines to get the Midas touch from head roaster Shane Cullimore, who is also a repair tech and can “pretty much fix anything”, according to Permenter.

Scoundrel is more than just a bar and eatery, it’s also a coffee machine repair room and a micro coffee roastery.

If you’ve got an espresso machine not working at home, “he’ll fix it”.

“Coffee is his life.”

Cohen said the tools on the wall and the neon sign leads everyone to think “it’s a joke” - but it really is a working repair shop too.

“Everyone assumes it’s just for show but we’re literally tearing apart and repairing machines.

“Everything is on show, but nothing is for show.”

And also in full view is the micro coffee roastery, Rad, opening in the new year.

One of the menu draw-cards was the fresh corn tacos, made on a taco line capable of pumping out more than 500 an hour and where everyone could “see the action” happening, Parmenter said.

The menu had “all day vibes”, including everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, cabinet food and coffee, she said.

“It’s everything to everyone.”