This month, Jacqui chats to Conor and Josh from Sidekick – the new sandwich shop in the Indi’s courtyard (access from Wi Neera St).
Exciting news Conor and Josh. You have opened Sidekick and locals are loving it. Can you describe what you offer?
We offer freshly made, conceptual and delicious sandwiches. There’s always gonna be great music and a nice little vibe down in the courtyard.
Has the concept been bubbling away for long? What made you decide to start the business?
The idea of starting our own thing has been rising to the surface for a while after years of working in hospo and wanting to call the shots. It felt like more of a five year plan kind of thing, but then the space came up last year and we thought, “Why the hell not?! Let’s get it together in time for summer.”
Have you always had an interest in food? Did your parents owning cafes in the past influence your decision?
Me and mum pretty much only talk about food. When we go into Hamilton, we don’t go to the supermarket, we go to the supermark-ETS; Vetro and NewSave, to name a few. We just love food and all the flavours the world has to offer. But if I was influenced by my parents owning Molasses back in the day, I probably would have thought Sidekick was a terrible idea!
What are you enjoying about the experience of running your own business?
We love being able to combine so many of our passions and channel them into an experience for the community. From the flavours and finesse of the sandwiches to the conceptual nature of the menu, we have created the world of Sidekick. And I will cram as many pop culture references as I can into one A5 piece of paper!
Of course there are challenges. What have been some that you have learnt from?
I forgot to order bread the other day! That’s a pretty big part of a sandwich! But love that we can only get in trouble with ourselves. We are just adapting to the challenges and learning to set daily reminders in our phones.
What do you think is the ethos of your venture?
We believe that in Raglan, lunch is the most important meal of the day. It’s when we are all in town together and it can really make your day go one way or another. We aim to create everyday sandwiches that can be enjoyed again and again. We wanted to have lore, conversation and fun around all of our sandwiches so we named them after pop culture icons in the hopes that they live forever, as icons do.
Do you have further vision or goals for the business?
With the amazing job that Ariel Hughes is doing on our graphics and branding, we could go international! It’s giving franchise. It’s giving bougie foodcourt. It’s giving drive thru. I’m lovin’ it! But in all seriousness, we could very happily just continue to feed Whāingaroa, until gluten intolerance has taken over humanity.
Where do people find you and how do people get in touch?
We are tucked away in the Indi’s courtyard, down Wi Neera St with a brand new entrance opposite the library. You’ll see our big red Sidekick sandwich board. And follow us on Instagram @sidekickraglan for some unhinged social media content.
When you are not working in the business what do you love to do? What other aspects of the community are you involved in ?
I’m also a DJ, you can catch me at Isobar on Thursday nights. Josh has a jewellery business called Lucid and was a part of the Hatch Exhibition at last year’s Raglan Arts Weekend.
