Mark Collins NZ Ltd

30/07/2026

𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵?

Restaurant Month is a fantastic initiative that shines a spotlight on local venues and encourages people to dine out. The bigger question is: how do we keep that momentum going for the other 11 months of the year?

Sustainable growth in hospitality takes more than great events, it takes collaboration, innovation and ongoing support for operators.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing restaurants today?

https://www.hospitalitybusiness.co.nz/restaurant-month-launches-beneath-auckland-in-spectacular-te-waihorotiu-station-showcase/

Over 200 guests descended below the city to get a first look at this new underground train station, and a first taste of the food on offer as part of Restaurant Month.

10/07/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗔 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟱–𝟵%.

That's not a guess — it's a Harvard Business School finding. A one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5–9 percent increase in revenue, and here's the part that matters most for us: that effect is driven by independent restaurants, not the big chains.

Why? Because a chain has a brand doing the reassuring for it. An independent venue earns its reputation one review at a time — so for you, every star carries more weight.

The takeaway isn't "chase reviews." It's that the small things guests notice — the welcome, the follow-up, the table that felt looked-after — show up directly on your bottom line.

A handful of happy guests asked at the right moment can move that rating. And that rating moves revenue.

When did you last actively ask a happy guest for a review?

Restaurants whose Yelp ratings increase by one star can expect to see their revenue increase by more than five percent, according to a Harvard study.

03/07/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁? 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

When the room's full, you're running the business. When things slow down, you finally get the chance to improve it.

The temptation in a flat month is to wait it out — cut shifts, watch the numbers, hope spring comes early.

But the operators who come out of winter stronger use it differently. They rework the menu while the kitchen has breathing room. They retrain the floor properly. They renegotiate with suppliers. They look hard at the numbers they usually only glance at between services.

A slow week isn't lost revenue. It's bought time — if you spend it on the things that make the busy season run better.

Don't just survive the quiet months. Use them.

What's the one thing you'd fix if you had the time? You might have it right now.

12/06/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲.

We usually think of risk as something that happens when we act — the failed launch, the hire that didn't work out, the menu change customers didn't love.
But there's a quieter, more dangerous cost: the price of standing still.

When you don't change anything, you're not playing it safe. You're betting that your market, your competitors, and your customers will all stay exactly where they are. That's not a strategy. That's relying on luck.

Small bets rarely break a business. A test campaign. A new process. One conversation you've been avoiding. The downside is contained, and the lessons compound.

Inaction works differently. Its cost doesn't show up in a single bad quarter — it accumulates quietly while you wait for a certainty that never arrives.

The businesses that pull ahead aren't the ones making fewer mistakes. They're the ones making more small, deliberate moves and learning faster than everyone else.

Doing nothing isn't the absence of a decision. It's a decision to let luck run your business.

What's one small bet you've been putting off?

19/05/2026

𝗣𝘀𝘀𝘀𝘁… 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱? 👀⭐

In June, New Zealand will finally discover whether any of its restaurants are worthy of a Michelin star — as the Michelin Guide officially launches in Aotearoa for the first time ever.

Behind the scenes? A reported $6.3 million investment to bring Michelin to New Zealand, with inspectors already dining anonymously across the country.

Love it or hate it, Michelin recognition has the power to transform tourism, elevate local hospitality businesses, and put New Zealand firmly on the global culinary map 🍽️✨

The countdown is officially on… who do you think deserves New Zealand’s first Michelin star?

The arrival in Aotearoa New Zealand marks The MICHELIN Guide's first-ever expansion into Oceania. MICHELIN Guide Inspectors are already on the ground preparing...

29/04/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 🌸

Mother’s Day as we know it began in 1908, when Anna Jarvis organised the first official celebration in the United States to honour her mother and the sacrifices mothers make every day.

It quickly grew into a worldwide tradition, becoming one of the busiest and most meaningful occasions for hospitality venues, restaurants, and cafés.

For businesses in hospitality, Mother’s Day isn’t just a celebration — it’s an opportunity to create memorable experiences that families will remember for years to come.

A thoughtful menu, warm service, and those little extra touches can turn one special meal into a lasting tradition. 💐✨

How is your venue preparing to make this Mother’s Day unforgettable?

09/04/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐙𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏&𝐋.

Freight surcharges are rising. Energy bills are climbing. Suppliers are passing on their own cost increases. And at the same time, customers are tightening their budgets and thinking harder about where they spend.

This is not a short-term blip. Geopolitical instability in the Middle East has a track record of sustaining elevated fuel prices for months.

I have put together 10 practical actions NZ hospitality operators can take right now to manage the exposure — built for the NZ context, not generic international advice.

https://markcollins.co.nz/index.php/2026/04/09/the-oil-shock-is-here-10-actions-for-nz-restaurants-and-hospitality-businesses/

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Rising oil prices driven by Middle East conflict are pushing up freight, energy, and supplier costs across NZ. Here is what hospitality operators can do about it.

17/03/2026

💡 𝗔 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Businesses that survive shortages don’t just buy differently, they sell differently.

Real example:
During recent cocoa price spikes, brands like Nestlé and Mondelez International didn’t just absorb the cost, they adapted their offer.

They:
🎯 Reduced product sizes slightly (“shrinkflation”)
🎯 Introduced new flavour ranges with less cocoa (caramel, wafer, filled bars)
🎯 Focused marketing on experience and indulgence, not quantity

👉 Result:
Margins protected and customers still buying.

📌 The hospitality takeaway:
You don’t always need to increase prices or cut products.
You can reshape what you sell and how you position it.

Because ultimately, customers aren’t tracking your ingredient costs, they’re responding to how your offer makes them feel.

Mark Collins Consultancy

05/03/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆

There are encouraging signals for the hospitality sector across New Zealand.

Recent tourism data shows international visitor numbers are continuing to recover, with tourism spending reaching $12.5 billion in 2025 and visitor numbers now back to around 90% of pre-pandemic levels. More visitors means more customers for cafés, restaurants, accommodation providers and hospitality businesses nationwide.

👉 Read more: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-tourism-continuing-boom

While operators still face challenges like rising costs and staffing pressures, increased tourism and event activity could bring renewed momentum to the sector.

For hospitality leaders, now is the time to strengthen operations, build resilient teams, and ensure businesses are ready to capture the opportunities ahead.

Fresh data out this week shows international visitors are returning to New Zealand in droves and visitor spend is on the up, supporting local business and jobs across the country.

19/02/2026

🚀 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁?
Traditional marketing gets you seen — but guerrilla marketing gets you remembered. 🌟

I just read this great guide on Guerrilla Marketing for the Hospitality and Food Industry that’s full of creative, low-budget strategies designed to help restaurants, cafés and food businesses make a bold impression and spark real buzz.
👉 From flash mob dining and secret menu treasure hunts to street art and interactive pop-ups, these ideas are all about unforgettable brand experiences that cut through the noise.

Highlights you’ll love:
🔥 Innovative examples of guerrilla campaigns
🎯 Practical, hospitality-focused ideas you can try
⚠️ Smart tips on planning and avoiding common pitfalls

Perfect for small business owners and hospitality marketers looking to boost visibility without blowing the budget.

📖 Read it here ➡️ https://markcollins.co.nz/index.php/2024/04/16/guerrilla-marketing-for-the-hospitality-and-food-industry/

As a business owner in the hospitality and food industry, distinguishing your brand in a competitive market is crucial. Traditional marketing avenues...