Who are the MacGregor Brothers?
Success in hospitality is simple: serve great coffee, and be cheerfully hospitable.
How we started
In 2005, brothers James MacGregor Gardiner and Thomas MacGregor Gardiner opened the MacGregor Brothers Kitchen on Wellesley Street. It was a tiny ‘hole in the wall’ cafe that quickly developed a reputation for outstanding coffee, served fast, and for Mrs MacGregor’s home baking (thanks James’ and Tom’s mum).
The brothers thought they were opening a little sandwich shop. But their idea of good hospitality set them apart. Soon there was critical acclaim in Cuisine Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald and Metro Magazine, and they realised they’d created something special.
They opened Reslau in 2007 as the first business in the renovated Elliott Stables on Elliott Street. The brothers applied the same high standards, and Reslau was either the winner or a runner-up in the Metro Café awards for 9 years straight – not bad for a 17 seat cafe.
North Wharf becomes a thing
In 2009 childhood friend Jonathan Lockyer joined James in owning and leading the MacGregor Brothers. The developers of North Wharf wanted a great cafe on site in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in 2011. They knew Reslau’s reputation, and invited MacGregor Brothers to create a cafe in the new development. Rushworth was a success from day one and has gone from strength to strength since.
While establishing Rushworth, MacGregor Brothers also operated a pop-up café on Queens Wharf during the 2011 World Cup. The team produced up to 3,500 top quality coffees a day, from a single machine in a shipping container.
We now operate Rushworth and Minnie’s, a ‘pop-up’ until recently located just down the road from Rushworth at the Auckland Fish Market.
A new venture: the MacGregor Brothers Espresso cart
We’ve recently created the MacGregor Brothers Espresso carts: a high-quality mobile cafe, available for corporate events. We realised that our cafes create an informal, relaxed setting that make it easy to talk business. So our espresso carts can help create the same environment at corporate events. After all, trade shows, conferences and customer breakfasts are all about creating opportunities for valuable conversations. What better way to start a conversation than a cup of amazingly good coffee?
What sets us apart?
Our success comes from two things. First is our commitment to quality coffee and food. Second, and just as important, is our unique style of customer service. We don’t sell coffee and food. We provide hospitality. We make our customers feel comfortable, welcome and at ease – everything we’d want a guest to feel at our home. That makes people feel good, and that’s why they come back.
How do we do this?
• We respect customers and demonstrate our respect.
• We greet customers the second they get to the counter, even if we can’t serve them straight away.
• We let customers know what’s happening with their order, if there’s any delay.
• We treat them as individuals – with unique needs and expectations.
• We recognise our regulars and greet them as the friends they are.
Come in to experience the MacGregor Brothers difference at Rushworth today. Or let us bring the experience to your corporate event, with the MacGregor Brothers Espresso cart.