How Karangahape Rd Restaurant Coco’s Cantina Became An Auckland Institution
Coco’s Cantina, a popular restaurant on Auckland’s Karangahape Road, has maintained its status as a local institution for 17 years. Owners Renee Coulter and Emile Bennington attribute their success to a unique service style and a commitment to community atmosphere.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the longevity and cultural impact of independent hospitality businesses in urban regeneration zones.
After 17 years on Karangahape Rd, Coco’s Cantina co-owners Renee Coulter and Emile Bennington reveal the secret to its staying power.
When it opened its doors midway along Karangahape Rd in the spring of 2009, Coco’s Cantina lit a fire in the belly of the local dining scene.
Sisters Renee and Damaris Coulter (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa) had been inspired by growing up in a hospitality family in Northland, travels in Italy, and a handful of Auckland establishments they admired, including Ponsonby’s SPQR and Grey Lynn’s Delicious. But what they created was unlike anything else.
The eclectic design, unfussy and delicious food, and sense of joie de vivre that infused Coco’s felt simultaneously fresh and age-old.
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