Kaffeehaus Whangarei

This café on Rathbone Street not only provides the heart-warming coffee one needs on any given day, but also brings a dash of European culture within the relaxed atmosphere.

Behind the scenes of the welcoming café you’ll meet the owners, Thomas and Angelika Schuster, who have emigrated all the way from Germany several years ago.

The move to Whangarei was instigated by their search of living a more relaxed lifestyle, and opening up Kaffehaus was not a difficult decision.

Originally with an IT and retail background for the couple, the change to hospitality business was from the enjoyment of communicating with the locals and being part of the community. “I like being with people and having company – not sitting around in an office,” said Angelika.

Kaffehaus will also carry a Hundertwasser theme, where art influenced by the Austrian artist will be showcased in the café. As the recent change from the Esquires franchise to their own company has still been a work in progress, the owners hope to see the undergoing developments finished by the end of the year 2015.

Having the Hundertwasser theme was rather unquestionable for the couple, as Thomas and Angelika come from a region in Germany that neighbours Austria. “We are Bavarians, and that is the closest to Austria, so bringing in that influence was an obvious choice,” Thomas said.

Although Kaffehaus may feel closer to home, the Schuster’s seemed to have already adapted to the Kiwi lifestyle. “The Kiwis are friendly and it’s a great environment here. We are feeling really at home here.”

Kaffehaus is open every day of the week, 7-5pm on weekdays, 8-5pm on Saturday and 9-3 on Sunday.