After a tough year, businesses near the base of Mauao are renovating, rebranding, launching new services and trying to stay positive as they get ready for summer.

Following January’s fatal Mount Maunganui landslide and the ongoing closure of Mauao, nearby operators on Adams Ave and Marine Parade say they must adapt to survive amid a sharp decline in foot traffic.

The landslide killed six campers and closed key attractions in the iconic holiday hotspot.

Some businesses closed as operators grappled with reduced customer numbers and ongoing uncertainty.

Now, the area is preparing for a critical summer.

Lital Cafe owner Michelle Craig said businesses could not afford to sit back and wait for conditions to improve.

“Every business has had to suck it up, sharpen, innovate and look at other revenue streams.”

Craig said businesses were investing in upgrades and looking for new ways to bring in customers despite ongoing pressure with nearby attractions still closed.

“We’re not sitting around waiting for a handout. We’re trying to prepare for the future.

“It’s an amazing, bright, vibrant space and we’re going to rise like a phoenix.”

She said cafe Mount Break closed for a week to renovate; cafe and burger bar Pronto also refreshed and upgraded its premises ahead of summer, and she merged Beach Hut into her other cafe, Lital.

Lital and several neighbouring businesses had also signed up to Uber Eats to reach customers beyond the area.

Lital Cafe owner Michelle Craig. Photo / Bijou Johnson

Mount Break owner Jana Puri said the year-old cafe’s recent renovations included upgrades to furniture and lighting to improve the customer experience.

“Summer is going to be good.”

Like many business owners, she hoped the planned partial reopening of Mauao for summer would help bring more visitors back to the area.

Pronto owner Bhasti Patel said business was at least 40% down compared to previous years.

“It’s been the toughest time in the Mount.”

He said the good weather had helped bring in more foot traffic but not nearly as much as when Mauao was open.

Despite efforts to reinvent themselves, many operators say the financial pressure remains intense.

Mauao, the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park and Mount Hot Pools remain closed nine months after the fatal landslide. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

The Coffee Club owner Janet Kim said spending was still down 38% on average and the only thing keeping the business going was their regulars.

“Without them, I would have closed.”

Kim said the downturn had taken a significant toll both financially and personally.

Moana Food Market owner Jay Patel said he had only just opened up the shop before the landslide happened.

“The turnover was so low, we could barely pay wages to the staff let alone the rates and rent.”

Patel said there were times he considered whether the business could continue operating.

“We just had to soldier on.”

He said only in the past month had business improved enough to begin paying down some debt.

The Mount Hot Pools remain closed nine months after the fatal landslide on Mauao. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

Pizza spot Rustica, which has been closed for five months, was aiming to reopen in mid-November.

A co-owner, who would not be named, said foot traffic had dropped significantly after the closure of Mauao, the campground at its base and the Mount Hot Pools due to landslide damage and risk.

“People don’t walk in that area anymore. It’s very dark and uninviting.”

Copenhagen Cones owner Shannon Hope said she was eager to put the difficult year behind her.

She described the past winter as challenging but said she was focused on the months ahead.

“I just want to move forward, and I’m trying to be really positive,” she said.

Love The Mount – Mount Maunganui Business Association business improvement manager Jay Banner said businesses closest to the base of Mauao had been among those hardest-hit by the closures.

Love The Mount business improvement manager Jay Banner.

Banner said the association had worked to support and advocate for affected businesses despite them sitting outside its mainstreet membership boundary.

He said the association funded a $30,000 destination marketing campaign, which included accommodation providers near Mauao, aiming to attract more visitors.

Banner said a busy summer events calendar, including the World Triathlon Cup and other major beach events, was also expected to help.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said a safe reopening of Mauao remained one of the most important ways the council could support affected businesses.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale at a community Mauao update meeting.

He said the council was continuing to work with the Mauao Trust to restore access as soon as it was safe.

Drysdale said a partial reopening was still planned for this summer, subject to the findings of a rockfall study and the completion of safety works.

He encouraged visitors and locals to continue supporting Mount businesses while Mauao was closed.

He said the return of cruise ship passengers and summer events were expected to give businesses a boost.

Tauranga City Council’s recovery manager, Charlie Rahiri, said the council had continued to support affected businesses through advocacy, direct engagement and administration of the Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund.

Recovery manager Charlie Rahiri. Photo / Tauranga City Council

He said information provided by businesses confirmed many had experienced significant challenges because of road closures, restricted access and the closure of key attractions.

The council established the Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund, which provided one-off financial assistance to affected businesses.

Rahiri said councillors also considered a request for rates remission but determined it did not meet policy criteria.

However, rates payment arrangements were extended until the end of this year in recognition of the ongoing impacts on businesses and property owners.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2023.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.