New Zealand is weathering one of the toughest economic periods we’ve seen in more than three decades, and Wellington has taken the hardest knock. Our hospitality community—especially the independent operators without the backing of big groups—has been feeling that pressure every single day. Dough Bakery was one of them. Tucked down Lombard Lane, it served beautiful pastries, coffee and sandwiches, but the location worked against it. The lane had become a bit dingy, with its share of antisocial behaviour, and foot traffic simply wasn’t what it needed to be. As a result, Dough struggled to perform at the level of its other sites.

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As an independent Wellington business ourselves, we felt a real responsibility to back our own. So alongside owners Tim and Mia, we reimagined what Dough could be—developing a fresh brand identity and transforming the space into Slice, a bright, welcoming pizza-by-the-slice shop designed to bring life back into the lane.

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Since launch, Slice’s sales have more than doubled those of Dough. But honestly, the best part has been hearing Mia say, “I just love that we have created something bright and bustling in amongst a pretty grim Wellington right now.”

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That’s exactly why we do this work—helping local businesses not only survive, but bring a bit of energy and optimism back into the city we love.

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