A culinary adventure from the garage up
Every year, locals and tourists alike enjoy sunny afternoons at Lukes Kitchen. What many don’t know is that before serving epic pizzas and cocktails, Paul Reilly, Luke’s father, ran a mechanic shop in that same spot.
“I managed a nearby farm for five years with low power and a kerosene fridge. I was a mechanic by trade, and when Martin Hodge, who owned a trucking business here, passed away, I asked his partner Gwyn, the owner of the garage, if I could run it over the summer as I needed money. Luke’s grandfather, Brian Anda, an auto electrician, visited once and caught this big snapper! He sold his house in Whanganui, and we started Kūaotunu Motors. That was 1983.”
In 1988, after Cyclone Bola, Gwyn put the place up for sale. Paul secured loans, and friends lent him money because they knew it would be good for his family. When Housing Corp representatives saw the place, they said it wasn’t much of a house. Paul laughed, “You should see the place where I currently live in Waitaia!”
Although the garage was thriving, Paul always knew it wouldn’t remain a garage forever.
“One day, a kind soul fixing their car said, ‘You’re just the caregiver of the land, not the owner.’ Somehow, that switched in my brain. Oh, I’m just looking after this piece of land for the next person to take over.”
Sitting relaxed with a glass of beer on the deck where his house once stood, Paul contemplates that special moment.
“This is my buzz, knowing what Luke’s doing and what he’s done. When I see all the people enjoying it, it’s exactly what it needed to be. Everyone down there enjoys and shares the spiritual end. There’s a little twist!”
The transition from garage to gastronomy was a slow dance dictated by the community’s needs. Paul’s new partner was an artist, so he decided to allocate space for an art gallery. The community needed a hub, and his brother-in-law suggested they should have a coffee machine there, too.
“The community was a little bit divided because of the mining issue. For many, the only place to go and just chat was in the garage while I was trying to fix cars. Putting the coffee machine and the art gallery gave people who walk the beach a neutral place to catch up. I was getting an extra dollar with the coffee, and also I could fix their cars more easily because they weren’t talking to me all the time!”
The first little trailer where Paul served coffee is still at the front counter at Lukes Kitchen. As coffee sales went well, the place organically expanded.
“We just went softly with feeling. We grew with the community as they needed their cars fixed and needed somewhere to have coffee.”
A few years later, Luke, now a young adult, went overseas. When he got back from Perth with chef skills, he started to sell food in a caravan by the garage. Seeing potential, he built a pizza oven, confirming Paul’s feeling that the place was destined for more than just a garage.
“I’d have a hoist, people would drive their cars, and they’d be eating pizzas while we were working. Today we have live music; back in the day, we had live mechanics!”
Lukes Kitchen’s iconic rustic style emerged out of necessity. Paul suggested using bamboo for the fence and sourced much of the wood from down the road, cheap materials that gave character to the place. Luke scattered memorabilia, things that tell stories, creating a nostalgic journey for the Reilly family and locals. Old tennis rackets, a saxophone, and lights from past years create an ambience that feels like a living history book.
Lukes Kitchen continues to thrive, offering top meals and sweet tunes to customers. Coffee is still available next door at the welcoming Kua Kawhe. Paul hopes Lukes Kitchen stays true to its roots, providing a haven where locals and visitors can escape the world’s chaos.
Check out what’s happening at Lukes Kitchen here.
words by Leonardo Magri
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