Latest news with #CommonRoom
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Hawke's Bay bars and restaurants adapt to winter months and tighter spending habits
He said he would keep the name and, in time, planned to reopen the cafe at the front of the venue. The former owner of Rosie O'Grady's Napier, Stefan Burt, said as far as he was aware, both the Clive Square and Taradale buildings were still up for lease, while his Hastings Irish pub was doing a good trade. Ahuriri West Quay nightlife hotspots Chris Sullivan, the owner of popular Napier nightlife hotspots on West Quay at Ahuriri, Roxof Nightclub, Thirsty Whale Bar and Restaurant, Paddy's Irish Pub and Kork n Barrel, said business was fluctuating. 'One week we are down, and the next week we are up, but it's not consistently down every week.' He said both Kork n Barrel and Thirsty Whale were currently down 15% in dining compared with the same time in 2023 and 2024, with early-week customers less common. Sullivan said it was noticeable that people were paying attention to how and what they spend their money on. 'People just haven't got the expendable dollar that they probably had two or three years ago.' Ahuriri hospitality operator Chris Sullivan said business was fluctuating, with people watching how they spent their money. Photo / Michaela Gower He attributed the cost increase in food, power, rent and rates as part of the reason people were being more cautious. 'The luxuries of going out probably suffer.' Sullivan said his establishments worked hard to keep prices down, despite their food costs 'rocketing'. 'Food is the big one, like our steak, three years ago we were buying eye fillet steak for $27 a kilogram, we now pay $52 – it's doubled.' He said there was no difference in the number of people attending Roxof but there was a small decrease in the spending at the bar, which was typically $20 per person across a clientele of up to 900 people on a Saturday night. Sullivan said Paddy's was 'still going strong', as they had not put drink prices up, but early-week dining was quiet. 'You have got to offer friendly service and try to get the prices right for people to make them come back on a regular basis – but that comes at a cost.' Common Room in Hastings goes for affordability, safety and 'a good time' The Common Room bar and music lounge owners Fiona Le and Chris Whyte were working hard to keep people coming through the door. This winter the business has lowered the price for cocktail drinks to $15, with plans to keep that price. Previously, prices for cocktails were up to $20. 'There are not many people in fortunate positions to have a lot of disposable income at the moment, and that's not just young people, that's everyone,' Whyte said. The Hastings Common Room bar, restaurant and music venue team, Chavez Farquhar (left) with Fiona Le, John Bland and Chris Whyte. Photo / Michaela Gower Their goal is to ensure that people visiting their establishment on Heretaunga St East are getting the best value for money. Whyte said there are three things people look for when they go out to bars and restaurants. This included affordability, a safe environment, and a chance to relax and have a good time. 'Our industry is getting people together, and it's far better to have a full room so people feel far better about the time than it is to have ten people standing around trying to create a vibe.' Whyte said a lot of blame for the struggles in the hospitality industry was attributed to the pandemic, and he said that it needed to stop being used as an excuse. 'Part of being resilient is weathering the storm, standing up and moving forward.' Michaela Gower joined Hawke's Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke's Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Fashion and homeware giant Oliver Bonas is accused of copying designs of a small independent store with its latest product range
Oliver Bonas has been accused of 'ripping off' the work of a young artist for its spring and summer homeware collection. Zoe Gibson, a 30-year-old visual artist from Dundee, produced a line of wallpaper and fabric for a small London-based company called CommonRoom in July 2023. Her work was inspired by the summer solstice and features a series of sun and moon motifs alternating between light and shade. But Kate Hawkins, creative director of CommonRoom, was shocked after hearing earlier this month that Oliver Bonas was selling a range of items bearing a strikingly similar design, ranging from £4 gift bags to £32.50 cushion covers. She is now demanding the company pay compensation to both Ms Gibson and CommonRoom while also pledging not to 'copy' the work of other artists without their permission. 'In their designs, Oliver Bonas has turned the flares of the suns into pineapples but that's not different enough,' she told MailOnline. 'I was mainly shocked by the similarity of the colours because those are really easy to change, but they haven't even bothered. 'We can't ignore this because it sets a precedent and encourages these big companies to keep on doing it. We also have a responsibility to protect our artists.' CommonRoom is selling 'Solstice' wallpaper designed by Ms Gibson on its website for £120 for a 10m roll, while the upholstery fabric costs £125. Ms Hawkins, 44, said she was first alerted to the Oliver Bonas range on April 13 by another designer who had been browsing the chain's website. She found a large number of products seemingly inspired by the solstice design, including a £20 lamp shade and a £35 set of three laundry bags. 'I'd rather we didn't have to go public with it. But I'd like to get some compensation for Zoe, and us too, because we've spent a lot of time on this,' she said. 'They could have just commissioned her in the first place. It's confusing that such a big business with huge resources wouldn't funnel those into creativity. 'It's almost as much effort to find an existing design and copy it while changing a few things instead of just making something new. 'They also go big on ''integrity'' and have a public code of conduct that says they will operate in a way that ''is ethical and doesn't negatively impact others''.' Ms Hawkins said she contacted Oliver Bonas two weeks ago but did not hear anything back at first. She then contacted her PR team. They responded on April 24 with a statement reading: 'I have been informed that the print designer involved in creating this design is no longer with our team. 'As such, we need to investigate the origin and inspiration behind this print. 'We appreciate your patience as we look into this matter and will get back to you as soon as we have more information.' The entrepreneur, whose business is based at Hackney Downs Studio in north London, said she had demanded 'clarification and serious engagement' from the company by April 28 and decided to make the matter public when this was not received. 'Since then we've heard nothing back,' she said. 'We try and do stuff properly, which is why it's taking us time to grow - so I'd like them to stop doing this.' A £32.50 cushion cover on sale at Oliver Bonas as part of its spring/summer collection The small business owner said she pays commissioned artists 10 per cent (excluding VAT) of the sale price of products that use their designs. She would now like Oliver Bonas to do the same for all historical and future sales of products 'inspired by Zoe's design'. The High Street firm has more than 90 shops in the UK and Ireland and made revenues of £135.78million last year. MailOnline contacted Oliver Bonas for comment on Monday but has not received a reply.
The Courier
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Dundee artist claims designs 'stolen' by Oliver Bonas
Major high street retailer Oliver Bonas has been accused of stealing the work of a Dundee artist. Zoe Gibson believes her unique designs were lifted 'almost wholesale' and used on a range of homeware items. Oliver Bonas did not respond to repeated attempts made by The Courier when approached for comment about the allegations. The Dundee University graduate sold her distinctive Solstice designs to London-based company CommonRoom in 2023. CommonRoom is a small company which makes wallpapers and fabrics using independent artists. They sold a range of products, including wallpapers and fabrics featuring Zoe's designs, with the appropriate credit given. But she says a recent range launched by Oliver Bonas is the spitting image of her work. Zoe and CommonRoom claim they have been 'completely ignored' by the high street giant after company director Kate Hawkins brought it to their attention. The fashion firm posted pre-tax profits of more than £6.8 million and enjoyed sales of more than £138m in 2023-24. Zoe graduated from Dundee University's prestigious Duncan of Jordanstone college of art in 2017, before completing a masters last year. She uses lots of colour and pattern in her work, themes which featured prominently in her Solstice designs. 'The designs on Oliver Bonas' website are very, very similar,' Zoe said. 'Too much so to just be a coincidence. 'The designs are for a series I did first in 2021, which appeared at Dundee's Generator Projects.(art space). 'And they were sold to a London company, CommonRoom in 2023. 'It was Kate from the company who got in touch to say it was my design Oliver Bonas is using. 'You do hear about this sort of thing happening. 'Instead of hiring actual artists and designers, they have just lifted mine. 'It's disappointing. And we've not had any response from Oliver Bonas when we have gone to them.' Oliver Bonas still have the products available for sale on their website. A cushion cover is selling for £32.50, while a lampshade retails for £20. Kate Hawkins, director and founder of CommonRoom, is calling for Oliver Bonas to compensate Zoe. She has made multiple attempts to communicate with the company, to no avail. Kate claims: 'The only correspondence we've had from Oliver Bonas was someone telling us 'the designer involved no longer works for the company'. 'But that doesn't answer any of the questions we had or explain why they did what they did. 'They haven't even bothered to change the colours. It's really obvious that it's Zoe's design. 'And this is a really big problem for artists. 'I'm not generally one for public shaming, but in this case we felt really awful for Zoe. 'And Oliver Bonas would quite rightly be very upset if someone stole something off the shelf. 'This is what it feels like, it's the equivalent of shoplifting. 'Credit is not only a basic courtesy, it matters because it's a sign of respect and recognition of someone's hard work. 'Most importantly it's an acknowledgement of value. The goods being sold disregard Zoe's, and in the process, our value.'
