Titirangi Beach general store and tearooms

From 1929 to 1975, a general store at 2 Mahoe Road, Titirangi, catered for day trippers, weekenders, and residents at the very popular Atkinson Park. This was a prime location, being almost on Titirangi Beach, writes LYNETTE SOLLITT-MORRIS.

The store, or ‘The Beach Kiosk’ as it was known in the early days was opened by the Boyd family, and later owned for short periods by the Brights, a Mr Hall, the Clarkins, the Cunninghams and the Cooks. The three sets of owners who owned and operated the shop for periods of over 10 years each made quite an impact on the local community: Albert and Kathleen Davies (1936-1947); Mary and Frederick Landers (1948-1960); and Joyce and Bill Daniels (19651975). The shop was an important conduit of information, company and local gossip.

Business was brisk and profitable during the summer months especially in ice creams and soft drinks but slow during the long winter so owners developed a number of other means to add extra income.

The shop sold general goods to the small resident and weekender population who often shopped daily in the days before most people owned fridges and cars. Hot water, boiled on gas rings before electricity was installed at the beach, was sold to park visitors who would bring up their tea pots to be filled in the days before the thermos. A small camp site large enough for about three pitches was operating at the back of the shop in the 1930s and a small flat was built underneath the main shop building on the left hand side and later, another single room with no facilities was added on the right hand corner of the building. These were rented out as holiday accommodation for visitors to the popular ‘resort’.

There was also a small, very basic one-roomed bach with a veranda built behind the shop sometime in the 30s that was also rented out over the years as holiday and semi-permanent accommodation. It was demolished in the mid 60s.

The Beach Kiosk also served the small residential and weekender community as their hall, where the community would gather on a Saturday night for dances and at other times for meetings and community concerts, before the present hall was opened in 1961.

A tearoom offering meals and afternoon teas operated in the cavernous building. It was very popular with the American soldiers stationed in Auckland during the Second World War. By the beginning of the 1960s, the shop had been renamed ‘The Fishnet Tearooms’ and the tearoom walls were decorated with fishing nets and raffia-covered Italian wine bottles. There were six kauri tables with four chairs to each to seat patrons and teas were served in good quality stainless steel teapot sets.

The original kiosk, a small stall about 12 feet by 8 feet, was built right on the beach in the early 20s by Alec Bishop. It was situated in front of the site of the present hall on the large eastern picnic ground known locally as the ‘green’. The ownership and licence to operate were then held by successive shop owners. The kiosk sold ice creams, ice blocks and other goods such as potato chips, soft drinks and confectionery and was only opened in the summer on the weekend and on picnic days. This kiosk was demolished about 1966.

Shopping was quite a different experience prior to the late 60s. Goods were held behind the counter and were handed to the customer as requested. Few products were prepackaged and the shop owner would, as Joyce Daniels recalled, for instance, slice a few rashers off the bone for the customer and then wrap them up, usually in plain newsprint. When the Daniels, the last owners, bought the shop, the counter was close to the shop entrance. They later reversed the counter to the other end of the room, closed the tearooms and placed many of the goods on shelves where customers could select the ones they wanted – more like today’s shopping experience.

By the 70s the world was changing. More people had cars, the supermarkets at Titirangi and Kelston had opened, LynnMall was well established and people were able to shop and travel further afield. In addition, most people had fridges and home freezers and could store food safely for longer periods of time. The shop was no longer profitable and was closed in 1975.

Thanks to the Daniels family (Joyce, Greg, and Vicki) for permission to publish these photos. Top left: The old shop from the street before the mid 60s renovations. The door and window to the old apartment (bottom right) and the small rented room on the left underneath the shop are visible. The large window on the top storey facing the street marks the site of the tearoom. Bottom left: Pipe band members outside the original kiosk one sunny weekend after a performance on the beach Top right: Joyce and Bill Daniels in the original shop area near the shop entrance. Mid right: Inside the old tearooms. Bottom right: Vicki and Greg Daniels outside the old bach at the rear of shop.

More details on the Titirangi Beach store and the history of Titirangi Beach and Atkinson Park can be found in Atkinson Park and Life at Paturoa Bay: 1910-1980 by Lynnette Sollitt-Morris. Copies can be bought directly from the author for $45. Email sollittmorris@gmail.com.