‘Worst week in six and a half years’: Tai Tapu cafe loses thousands from roadworks

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Pete Edwards, co-owner of The Store at Tai Tapu, says roadworks have cost the business up to $15,000 in lost turnover.

A Tai Tapu cafe owner says his business has lost up to $15,000 in turnover over the past three weeks, with roadworks outside cutting off the passing trade it relies on.

Pete Edwards and his wife Lesley have owned The Store for six and a half years. Last week, he said, was the worst trading week they have had, apart from one during Covid.

“It’s been very tough,” he said. The Edwards spoke of their struggles on Facebook on Monday, which accumulated more than 800 likes and 80 comments in 24 hours.

The Store at Tai Tapu has been open for six and a half years. Roadworks and protective fencing outside The Store at Tai Tapu have made the business harder for customers to access.

“The response has been amazing. From regulars to strangers, people have been making an effort to come in and support us, which has been great.”

Selwyn District Council engaged Orion to undertake works on State Highway 75 three weeks ago on underground power lines and to future-proof existing infrastructure.

But it has left protective fencing across the front of the business, cones around the entries, and access points that are “narrow, confusing and sometimes closed entirely”.

Co-owner Pete Edwards says the roadworks outside his Tai Tapu café have been the toughest trading period since Covid.

The Store sits on a crossroads that draws roughly half its trade from passing traffic heading toward Akaroa, Little River and beyond. Those customers have largely stopped coming in.

“The dreaded road cones stop that big-time,” Edwards said. He estimates losses of between $12,000 and $15,000 over three weeks, with last week the worst of it — down about a third on normal turnover.

The first two weeks were tough. Locals stepped up and made an effort, Edwards said, but by the third week it was almost impossible to access the store or car park, so customers “didn’t bother”.

The view from The Store’s doorstep at Tai Tapu, where owners say trade has slowed significantly over the past three weeks.

General Post cafe just down the road is also feeling the pinch due to road cones eliminating roadside parking options.

“It’s definitely been the quietest couple of weeks in a long time,” said owner Larissa Milne.

“Most cafes are already operating on thin margins, so a few weeks of roadworks isn’t just an inconvenience, it can be enough to really rattle a business.”

Both Milne and Edwards say road workers have been very kind and understanding, giving them regular updates whilst buying a coffee or pie.

View from General Post, where roadside parking has been blocked off as part of nearby underground wiring works.

And while Milne said she was surprised by the roadworks, Edwards said the council’s communication has been “excellent”.

There has been no offer of financial compensation from the council, but Milne said there should be.

“It needs to be built into the construction costs. It’s not for businesses to get rich, but to at least subsidise or cover the loss of turnover, which is very real [and] can be up to 50% or more.”

Both business owners pointed to the much lengthier and more damaging roadworks affecting Lincoln businesses, where a $10 million town centre upgrade and other works tied to the Halswell area’s population growth have disrupted trade for months.

Lincoln businesses have access to a dedicated rates remission scheme tied specifically to that project, and on Tuesday Selwyn District Council adopted a further $100,000 direct support fund for those affected. But that support is specific to Lincoln.

Interim chief executive Steve Gibling acknowledged the wider impact of roadworks on communities and businesses, saying the council tried to give advance notice, explain its plans clearly and keep people updated on timing.

For Tai Tapu, that meant regular updates to the Tai Tapu Community Association and letters and door-knocking throughout the project.

The underground works were completed on Monday, he said, with Orion expected to finish cleaning up the site by Wednesday.

On top of the winter dip in trade, Edwards said the struggle paints a bigger picture in hospitality at the moment.

“We know how tough it is for us without roadworks to make $1, and so the Lincoln businesses are just doing it super-hard.”