Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori has made it all the way to the Big Apple - or should we say Te Āporo Nui?
Kiwi-owned Happy Bones Café in Manhattan is embracing Māori Language Week by offering half price coffee to all customers who order in Aotearoa's native tongue.
Owner Craig Nevill-Manning heard cafes in New Zealand were taking part in the initiative, and thought there was no reason why it couldn't be brought to New York.
"I think it's a great idea, because the Māori language is often something we reserve for special occasions - at least in my circles," Mr Nevill-Manning said.
"This way it brings it into something we can enjoy every day."
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The presence of Māori signs in the cafe piqued the interest of local New Yorkers, and after a little encouragement, some tried their hand at ordering and were rewarded with a 50 percent discount.
Kiwi Hayden Withers, who moved to New York in 2013, took part in the initiative, changing his order of a flat white to mowai.
"I think it's a really cool idea, and it works out well because a few of us from New Zealand are doing Māori lessons here [in New York], so it timed out well that we could put it to use," Mr Withers said.
Mr Nevill-Manning said Pilot Coffee in Toronto were also taking part in the initiative by recognising Māori Language Week.
Newshub.
