17/08/2026
14 Years of Parnells — and a New Chapter from 24 August 2026.
After 14 years, it’s time for us to say goodbye to one chapter of Parnells Café and welcome the next.
Since our whānau took over Parnells in 2012, this little café has become so much more than a business. It has been a huge part of our lives, our family and our community.
Over those 14 years, we’ve watched Parnells grow, change and evolve. We’ve built a café we’re incredibly proud of, created a team that has become like family, survived some challenging times, celebrated some pretty big milestones and, most importantly, built relationships with generations of customers who have continued to walk through our doors.
There have been early mornings, very long days, plenty of coffee, countless meals, birthday celebrations, catch-ups, difficult days, great days and a lot of laughs along the way.
And now, it’s time for something new!
We’re very happy to introduce Tamara, our new owner, along with her husband, Tyler, and their children.
The good news for our regulars is that Parnells isn’t going anywhere. Some of the familiar faces you know will still be here.
To our Parnells team...
There are not enough words to properly thank the people who have worked alongside us over the years.
To every staff member, past and present, who has walked through the doors of Parnells — thank you.
Thank you for the early starts, the busy Saturdays, the Christmas rushes, the dishes that seemed to never end, the coffees made one after another, the meals that had to go out five minutes ago, and all the little things that customers never see.
Thank you for turning up when you were tired, for covering shifts, helping each other out, learning new things, taking on extra responsibility and getting through the days when everything seemed to happen at once.
There have been plenty of laughs, plenty of chaos and probably a few moments when we all wondered why we ever chose hospitality!
But through it all, we built something together, and all of you have contributed to the success of the café.
Parnells is what it is because of the people who have worked here. The standards we’ve built, the reputation we’ve earned and the experience our customers have come to expect are the result of thousands of shifts worked by people who cared enough to do the job properly.
I am particularly grateful to the team who have been alongside me through these final years. You’ve put up with my lists, my systems, my constant tweaking of things and my occasional “I’ve got an idea…” moments! I genuinely could not have done the last few years without you.
I’m incredibly proud to be leaving Parnells with such a great team still in place.
And to our customers, thank you simply isn’t enough. Thank you for choosing us, for coming back, for recommending us to others, for putting up with the occasional wait when we were flat out, and for becoming familiar faces we genuinely looked forward to seeing.
So, from me — thank you for 14 incredible years of Parnells, and for making the café such a special part of my life.
And to Tamara, Tyler and their family: welcome to Parnells! We wish you every success as you take the café into its next chapter.
Parnells’ story isn’t ending. It’s simply changing hands.
Come say hi and bye before I head out for the last time on Sunday.
Tēnei te mihi ki ō mātou kaimahi.
Tēnei te mihi ki ō mātou kiritaki.
Tēnei te mihi mō ngā tau 14.
Aroha ❤️ See less
