Reggie’s - new Italian restaurant opening in Made
Monday, 9 September 2024
A pizza oven and pasta extruder are arriving from Italy for a new Italian restaurant opening in Made.
Reggie’s is the next ‘cool’ thing by hospitality trio Mathew Pedley, Alex Hudson and John Moughan.
This is there sixth hospo destination in Hamilton and they say the 180-seat rooftop Italian restaurant is the first-of-its-kind in the city.
Reggie’s will be an inner city restaurant, “where it's cool to go for a date or to bring family,” says Pedley.
“We're not talking about $40 risottos, it's affordable and approachable and delicious and fast and yum.”
Reggie’s, opening early November, will be sprawled across a 180m2 open space. It has a retractable roof and a deck area set against the backdrop of a sunset over the river. It also has a secluded bar area.
The speciality will be four to five fresh pizzas and pastas, with rotating sauces - from traditional to non-traditional flavours, “executed well using proper techniques”.
During the day, customers may also see the chef prepping pasta in the middle of the room.
Pedley said they had put together a “really cool team” from all over the place.
“Lots of people are wanting to move out of the big cities” and many within the region were looking at opportunities, he added.
“We're noticing people actually walking in with CVs. That stopped for a long time, even before Covid.
“That had stopped as the labour pool dried up a little bit.”
Moughan said while there was no argument everyone was doing it hard in this economic climate, hospitality had been a tough game anyway.
However, they had been fortunate so far due to less competition in Hamilton.
“It's been a relatively easygoing city and people are quite chill.
“But with increased competition, you need to be better or treat people better and do better things.”
The trio owns Mr Pickles on Riverbank Lane, Last Place Bar on Collingwood Street, Wonder Horse on Victoria Street, Neat in Made and Everyday Eatery at Hamilton Zoo.
Pedley said they survived with five venues amid the cost-of-living crisis as each venue is a destination that gave people a reason to go.
“We wanted a really good burgers and alternative live music venue and we gave people somewhere to go with Last Place, that wasn’t like everything else.
“Alex wanted to make cocktails and so opened Wonder Horse.”
In addition to fresh pizza and pasta, there would be a “kids element” at Reggie’s.
“Big scoops of tiramisu slapped on the plates type of thing.”
The owners said parenthood had changed their understanding of needs and this restaurant was created keeping that in mind.
“Alex, myself and John, we've all got small children now, and there's nowhere we feel comfortable going with them, where it's okay if they make a little bit of havoc.
“The goal is for it to really provide something for the community.”
The restaurant would also offer an extensive wine collection complementary to other places specialising in wine at Made.
Downstairs, Amphora offered sustainable tap and glass pours, focused on organic and handmade wine.
“Our focus will be different to what they’re doing because we want everyone to succeed, do cool things and work with them.”