Pakuranga Plaza's food court used to be a hotspot for East Aucklanders - now it’s a ghost town with family-operated Shamiana struggling to stay afloat in the near-deserted eating area.
For many people in the community, the Shamiana Indian restaurant holds fond memories.
Ravinder Kumar and his family have owned the Pakuranga franchise since 2009. His son Harsh was aged six when it opened.
A lot has changed since then, with the Plaza almost empty as many stores have shut down. Those wanting food have the option of Subway, or Shamiana.
Harsh, who occasionally works at the store, has seen the business grow, but also more recently struggle.
“I used to come in as a little kid sometimes just to visit Dad and it used to be packed in here. You’d come in at lunch time and it would be very vibrant, you’d get a good atmosphere going. Now it just feels sad,” Kumar says.
For many growing up in the area, Shamiana was their go-to spot. After school, many would spend their afternoons in the food court, fuelling up on their famous butter chicken before a long walk home.
“My Dad has seen primary kids who have grown up to have families of their own now because he’s been there so long. He’s seeing less of his old customers now just because there’s nothing left in the mall for them to come for,” Kumar says.
A few weeks ago one of their old customers Allenzo Tamatoa returned to the Plaza and was shocked at how empty it was.
He posted a Tik Tok of him eating a meal from Shamiana. The video received over 200,000 views while another one by radio station Flava was watched more than 145,000 times.
Many in the comment section shared their memories of the Pakuranga eatery, hailing them for having the best butter chicken.
“The Plaza was always open after school. One of the boys would always have enough to shout a couple of feeds and we would all just eat off that,” Tamatoa says.
“It was really buzzing and now it’s sad, you look around and you see the other vendors who aren’t active anymore but the place is still there and the sign is still up.
"It’s nostalgic just thinking of times when I was a bit younger. Life was a bit more care free. I see the bro still out there, still selling his stuff and the quality is still good.”
Kumar says the viral videos have helped attract customers but won't be enough to help them survive long-term.
“The biggest reason [the business] is still going is because of loyal customers that we’ve had over the years. People that like our food and are used to our food,” Kumar says.
The economic impact of Covid has affected the business and bigger malls with more options such as Sylvia Park and the Botany Town Centre mean people are going elsewhere to shop.
The Kebab Master store opposite Shamiana was the latest restaurant to close just a few months ago.
At the moment Kumar says the future of their business is uncertain.
“People are basically staying until the lease ends and then leaving. They’re not wanting to stay longer and it’s not like they’re getting any incentive to stay.”
The final stage of the Eastern busway from Pakuranga Plaza to Botany Town Centre is currently underway which could provide more opportunities for businesses.
In 2015, Singapore-based developer GYP Properties, which owns the Plaza, announced plans to replace it with a new urban village including a $500 million upgrade that would include apartments, a hotel and new shops.
But they are yet to proceed with the proposal.
GYP Properties did not want to comment about its plans for the mall.
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