Kawakawa at Salt: Coastal Café Style, Inside and Out

Client is Kawakawa at Salt

A coastal neighbourhood café.

Located in Mount Maunganui Kawakawa at Salt is a friendly café built around fresh seasonal food, local ingredients and, a Kiwi must, good coffee. From in-house baking and colourful salads to organic coffee and locally sourced tea, there’s a genuine simplicity to the Kawakawa approach.

That same relaxed feeling carries through to the café itself. The space needed to feel light, welcoming and easy to enjoy, whether customers were stopping in for a morning coffee, catching up over lunch or settling in outside on a sunny afternoon.

Working with Kawakawa at Salt, we helped shape furniture solutions for both their indoor and outdoor areas, balancing the practical needs of a busy café with a relaxed coastal aesthetic. Natural timber, crisp white finishes and touches of green create a setting that feels fresh, welcoming and easy-going.

Made for coastal conditions.

For a café close to the coast, outdoor furniture needs careful consideration. Alongside the demands of regular hospitality use, the outdoor settings needed to suit Mount Maunganui’s coastal environment and exposure to New Zealand’s notoriously strong sun.

The furniture also needed to support different customers and occasions throughout the day. A combination of compact dining settings, larger communal tables and bar-height seating provides flexibility without making the space feel overly structured.

Creating a visual connection between indoors and out was equally important. Rather than treating the outdoor area as a separate space, complementary materials and finishes help the café feel considered as a whole.

Furniture for every setting

Inside, natural timber brings warmth and texture to the café. Solid oak table tops in natural oak were selected in a mix of sizes, including compact 60cm square tops for smaller groups and larger 120x60cm formats where more dining space is needed.

A generous Marko dining table creates a communal setting for groups to gather over coffee, brunch or lunch. At bar height, Natural solid oak table tops paired with black Konus bases in white introduce contrast and another seating option. 

Outside, the palette becomes lighter while continuing the timber connection. Tahoe outdoor picnic tables in white provide generous shared seating for families and groups, with an umbrella hole allowing shade to be added when needed.

For smaller dining settings, Teak table tops are paired with white Star aluminium table bases, alongside white Parker chairs. White Karaka outdoor leaners with teak tops introduce a bar-height option, giving customers another way to use the outdoor area. These are paired with Atticus bar stools in dark green adding a subtle touch of colour.

Together, the varied table sizes and seating heights help make practical use of the available space while creating a consistent experience from indoors to out.

An easy place to gather.

The finished café feels relaxed and uncomplicated, but every furniture choice has a practical role to play.

Natural oak and teak bring warmth, white finishes keep the outdoor area feeling light, and touches of green add character without overpowering the space. More importantly, the mix of dining, communal and bar-height settings gives Kawakawa at Salt the flexibility to welcome individuals, families, friends and larger groups throughout the day.

The result is a welcoming café that feels right at home in Mount Maunganui, with commercial furniture selected to support the demands of everyday hospitality while maintaining the relaxed character of the venue.

For cafés and hospitality spaces, thoughtful furniture choices can make a real difference to how customers use and enjoy a venue. Whether you’re planning indoor dining, an outdoor courtyard, counter seating or a combination of all three, our team can help you find practical café furniture and outdoor furniture solutions that work for your space.

Planning a café, restaurant or hospitality fit-out? Get in touch with our team to discuss your project.