Our Story
Back in 2006 Pam and Mike were offered an opportunity to lease an unused pizza oven in the local bakery in their hometown of Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand, known to local Maori as Te Wai Pounamu, Aotearoa. The name Fat Pipi was inspired by the name of one of Mike's fishing boats.
The rest is history. Beginning with making takeaway pizza in the evenings, within two years demand had increased to the point where Mike & Pam had outgrown the bakery. Just two doors down the road was a vacant building, a disused restaurant, formally known as the Tin Shed, complete with its own pizza oven and not much else. Mike & Pam negotiated to purchase the building, then Mike set about gutting the interior.
It took the next two years and all Mike's spare time refurbishing, installing native timber furnishings, while Pam maintained the existing takeaway pizza service, until finally the day arrived when they moved into their current premises.
Was it worth all the work and stress? Ask yourself. Just rock up, buy a pizza, sit at the shared tables, listen to the music, smell the pizza being made, enjoy our 'Far Canal' house wine, hear the orders being called by the staff and join in the conversation with a medley of nationalities. Yep, it was all so worth it. There is even an old cannon ball on display that was uncovered during the excavations.
Today, people come from around the globe to Fat Pipi for a pizza. The Maori meaning for Hokitika is 'a place to return'. We hope you will join us and return time, and time, again.
The rest is history. Beginning with making takeaway pizza in the evenings, within two years demand had increased to the point where Mike & Pam had outgrown the bakery. Just two doors down the road was a vacant building, a disused restaurant, formally known as the Tin Shed, complete with its own pizza oven and not much else. Mike & Pam negotiated to purchase the building, then Mike set about gutting the interior.
It took the next two years and all Mike's spare time refurbishing, installing native timber furnishings, while Pam maintained the existing takeaway pizza service, until finally the day arrived when they moved into their current premises.
Was it worth all the work and stress? Ask yourself. Just rock up, buy a pizza, sit at the shared tables, listen to the music, smell the pizza being made, enjoy our 'Far Canal' house wine, hear the orders being called by the staff and join in the conversation with a medley of nationalities. Yep, it was all so worth it. There is even an old cannon ball on display that was uncovered during the excavations.
Today, people come from around the globe to Fat Pipi for a pizza. The Maori meaning for Hokitika is 'a place to return'. We hope you will join us and return time, and time, again.