Airspresso Queenstown 3.83

Airspresso is an established airside cafe experience like no other, with operations in both main islands of New Zealand; one in New Plymouth, the other Queenstown.

The brainchild of two hospitality entrepreneurs with vastly different backgrounds, the brand has proved to be a winning formula for travellers and visitors because of its excellence in home-bake style food, fresh roasted speciality coffee and a décor of heritage flying stories and artefacts.

Craig Macfarlane has established a cluster of cafes and restaurants in Taranaki, Wellington, Hamilton and Queenstown, as well as Ozone Coffee Roasters which has a growing customer base the length of the country.

Ozone Roasteries are now burgeoning businesses in New Plymouth, and Shoreditch, London. Macfarlane also built King and Queen Hotel Suites with father in law Russell Boddington in New Plymouth, a top end accommodation experience.

Jim Hickey, well known television weatherman, pilot and coffee aficionado is the other half of the partnership. The son of a WW2 Spitfire pilot, Hickey flies his own aerobatic Yak 52 Warbird, and for years yearned to see a contemporary quality airport café adorned with local aviation heritage in his home town.

Contact and discussions with Macfarlane ensued. The synergies and strategic planning saw the embryonic plan hatch into the award winning Airspresso experience at New Plymouth airport. Customers indulge in delicious café fare and coffee excellence, in the midst of authentic vintage aviation memorabilia and biographies of local pioneer and wartime pilots.

Queenstown International Airport followed.

When Queenstown Airport Corporation CEO Scott Paterson witnessed the passion and vision for a locally-honed Airspresso model for his international airport he said: “When we went through the tender process we were really excited by Airspresso’s ideas and how they would complement the airport’s future food and beverage offerings” he says.

“Jim brings a strong passion and understanding of Queenstown and the aviation sector to the table while Craig is a go-getter with a proven track record of success here in New Zealand and London.

“This gives us confidence that the Airspresso formula will deliver the world-class experience we’re striving to achieve for our visitors”.