Ninety-seven-year-old resident Hazel Pearce said the lemon cake and yoghurt she enjoyed with her coffee was "very smart", and she would be a regular.
"I’ll be coming back at 10.30am with another friend. We all should support this very tasteful [place].
"When you get older you’ve got to have somewhere to go . . . somewhere you can come with friends. We used to come on a Wednesday. We’ve missed that," she said.
Tapanui’s last cafe closed in 2023, and after concerns there was nowhere in town for people to meet and eat had made their way to council hearings, veteran cafe operators John Tomkins and Leandro Massariolo answered the call from Ettrick.
"There was a bit of pressure from friends telling us Tapanui had no cafe and needed one, so we thought we’d give it a go," Mr Tomkins said, "so we’re here and now we’ve just got to get the proof in the pudding and see if they’re all going to turn up."
The businessmen signed a one-year lease on 30 Northumberland St in June and budgeted $15,000 to $20,000 to bring the traditional site of Tapanui’s cafes up to their expert standard.
"We didn’t end up having to do too much renovation because the place is in pretty good shape, but you always end up spending what you think you’re going to spend. We have new furniture and kitchen equipment . . .
BengerNUI was beginning with opening hours of 8am to 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday and offered the same "tried and tested" kitchen menu and cabinet fare as Ettrick’s original Benger Cafe.
"Seafood chowder and corn fritters are always popular, but we have home-made pies from beef, chicken, lamb to pork and venison, and all the usual drinks we’ve learned customers expect."
West Otago resident and ward councillor John Herbert was pleased to offer a review of his first morning tea.
"I started out with my standard — Americano black coffee and a cheese toastie. Couldn’t be better.
"I was there from 10 o’clock to quarter to 11 and there were between 20 and 30 people the whole time . . .
"Those gentlemen have done a fantastic job, it’s beautifully decorated, bright and airy with lots of staff and beautiful food. They’ve put in a big commitment to our community and we need to support them."
Mr Massariolo said he and Mr Tomkins were already looking forward to another project in Roxburgh.
