Instead of speeches they had cake.

The official opening of the Papamoa Plaza food court was non-traditional and for the community, says plaza manager David Hill.

'The opening was all about the community so there was no speeches, specifically no speeches.

'We did the cutting of the ribbon. We had this massive cake, so they cut it all up and we were giving cake to everyone who came in.”

Motion sensors showed more than 20,000 people visited the Plaza's food court yesterday, says David. He thinks that's most of the 15,000 who turned up to watch the parade and others who came along afterwards. An unknown amount were repeat visitors going in and out.

'It was just such a fantastic event. The retailers were thrilled, management and owners were thrilled and the Mayor and MP were just over the moon to have this style of shopping centre opening because e it is certainly non-traditional.

'It certainly is all about the community and giving back. Just recognising this was a community meeting place and a place the community now owns.

'It's unashamedly all about the locals. It's all about the people who live here and the people who shop here.”

A Weekend Sun voucher inserted for Mount and Papamoa readers had a 10 per cent return, five times the national average, says David.

Some of the 20,000 visitors to the Papamoa Plaza food court yesterday.

The grand opening of the food court marks the official one third of the way through the Plaza's development.

'So next year we will have the evening dining precinct, and the year after that the large format store area.

'We met with the builders this morning talking about next year's project. So they are just finishing off the list of last minute jobs here, all the stuff that we have found after they have finished.

'And then they have a break over Christmas and charge back into it in February again.”