Auckland Council has launched a free online portal that brings new hospitality businesses to one place for guidance on requirements for topics like food registration, alcohol licensing, outdoor dining approvals, and verification requirements.
The Council says its Hospo Hub service has already received more than 200 enquiries from hospitality operators since it was rolled out in March.
Hospo Hub grew out of discussions at the Mayor’s Tourism and Hospitality Forum, where industry representatives highlighted the need to reduce regulatory burden, remove barriers to entry and make it easier for businesses to engage with council processes. As part of developing the service, Auckland Council engaged with a wide range of businesses across the hospitality sector to understand the pain points that needed to be addressed.
Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown says taking the headache out of council processes are part of the efforts toward supporting local operators doing it tough.
“Hospo Hub is about providing a front door for hospitality businesses. By helping operators get the right guidance early, we can prevent costly delays and make it better, faster, and cheaper for them to get open, stay open, and succeed,” says the Mayor.
Council’s General Manager, Licensing and Compliance, Rob Irvine says the service will simplify what can often feel like an overwhelming process for business owners.
“Hospitality operators are incredibly passionate about their businesses, but many are navigating council requirements for the first time. Hospo Hub gives them a clear starting point and access to the right advice early in the process.
“Our goal is to make council easier to navigate and help hospitality businesses avoid unnecessary delays. Rather than trying to work out which team to contact or what approvals may be needed, operators can come to one hub, and we’ll help connect them with the right information and specialists.”
The service supports new operators, people purchasing existing hospitality businesses, and established businesses making changes to their operations.
Information resources are also available in English, Korean, Japanese and Mandarin.
Businesses can access the Hospo Hub here.
