Pacha's Kebab Café, 167, Cuba Street, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

[Al-khiyal]

Healthy takeaway finely honed

April 14, 2010 -- From interior design in London to a kebab caravan in Palmerston North, Hocine Hamdi-Pacha has come a long way. Locals who have tasted Pacha's Kebabs in the Square can count themselves lucky that Hocine Hamdi-Pacha met a local Palmerston North girl in Europe. After abandoning plans to study interior design in London and coming to the city with his now wife, he remembers thinking he would only manage about three months here, and that was 21 years ago. Opening his caravan two years later, he established the mobile takeaway community in The Square, and opened a restaurant and takeaway shop in Cuba Street.

Known as "Pacha" to many around town, his kebab business has flourished where others have failed. Mr Hamdi-Pacha puts this down to consistency. "I believe there is always a right way of doing things, and a wrong way. If you get things right, you need to make sure you deliver that to the customers every time." With a customer base that consists of about 95 per cent regulars, Mr Hamdi-Pacha has got something right. He has seen a lot of caravans in The Square come and go, but his brown trailer has become something of a fixture.

Setting up his business at a time when kebabs were a little more exotic has been instrumental to his success, he believes. "Kebabs were quite unknown and it was much easier to draw customers in to a different product back then. But I have a good base of regulars now, and many of them have been getting kebabs off me for years." Making all his own marinades, sauces and spices at his shop base, he uses many recipes from his native Algeria, and adds his own flavours and Kiwi twists to them. He says this is what his point of difference is to other similar businesses. "A lot of my sauces are secret, but having done this for 19 years now, I know what a lot of people like," Mr Hamdi-Pacha says. "The ladies all seem to like the chicken – it's weird."

Although it would appear that he has established himself a permanent place in the Palmerston North healthy fast-food market, he says there have been difficulties running two separate businesses. He had to close his restaurant a couple of years ago, but he is content with the takeaway shop and caravan he now runs almost wholly on his own. "It's a cliche, but good staff are hard to come by, especially in hospitality." Now with only one other full-time staff member in the Cuba Street shop, Mr Hamdi-Pacha is happy to carry on with his business for a few more years. "If I didn't enjoy what I was doing, that would be a worry. It is human nature to get sick of what you're doing every now and then, but I believe you are your own remedy."

Pacha's Kebab Café
167, Cuba Street,
Palmerston North 4410,
New Zealand
(06) 357 7055

[New_Friend]

Thanks 4 posting! I luv small biz success stories...the only thing better is "happily married for a long time" stories....hopefully this fellow and his wife have both!

Cheers,
N_F