Special Mention

Our second Kawhe For Koha event went off without a hitch, a very special thanks to @specialmention_atk for hosting. Kawhe For Koha is a series of events where we work with our cafe family to give back via a humble cup of coffee. The entire proceeds of the first 100 oat coffee purchases go to the cafes charity of choice. 
 
In Dutch you would call it Gezellig. In Danish you would say Hygge. Here in Aotearoa you might describe @specialmention_atk as, well, special. Located in Mount Maunganui, Lex and Holly have created a warm, welcoming community focused space with an emphasis on considered homemade fare. If you haven’t visited, it’s well worth a visit.
 
Good Neighbour, Lex and Holly’s chosen charity, focuses on closing the food waste gap in the hospitality industry and redistributing that food to others in the community who may need help – in their words – putting the neighbour back in neighbourhood. A massive thank you to Lex, Holly and the whole Special Mention crew for the mahi, and if you weren’t able to get down on the day but still feel like supporting Good Neighbours work, please head over to their website goodneighbour dot co dot nz.

 
Read a few Q & A's with the lovely Lex and Holly below:

Hi team, can you let the people know Special Mention’s offering and reason for being?  We’ve lived in our Arataki community for years; we had dreams of setting up shop in our exact location and selling coffee, natural wines and an interesting and concise menu. A neighbourhood establishment serving up the best of times.  

Besides caffeine, what gets you out of bed in the morning?  One of our three children is the honest answer but more philosophically, working with our wonderful team to make an atmosphere for people to have a great time and feel welcomed and appreciated. That’s a perk of the job worth getting up for.  

Thank you for being a part of Kawhe for Koha, could you tell us a little about the charity you’ve chosen and why? We chose ‘Good Neighbour’. One of the great things about our industry is the human connection within a community, but admittedly one of the unavoidable struggles we have with our industry is the food waste.  Good Neighbour play a cool part in food rescue and re-distribution and also working in communities. So it seems quite fitting.  

We've just ticked in to 2023, what are you hopeful for in our next spin around the sun? We want to be undeniably good. To keep growing in all areas, to better our day to day running of Special Mention, to open for more nights, to use less takeaway cups, to see more music, make more merch, take better photos, surf more, hold more events and sell more oat flatties 😊 thanks Otis