The Piha Store.
The most reliably open thing in Piha. Coffee, pies, groceries and the basics. Open 7.30am to 3pm, 364 days a year. Under New Management.
An institution in a phase of life & community.
About
The Piha Store is the most reliably open thing in Piha. 364 days a year, 7.30am to 3pm, closed only on Christmas Day. That reliability makes it the answer to a lot of small village questions: where to grab a coffee before the walk, where to find lunch on a winter Tuesday when most other places are closed, where to buy the things you forgot to bring with you.
The coffee is good enough that locals who could make their own at home choose not to. The pies are homemade and worth ordering. There's a small range of cabinet food, groceries, baking, and the basics that a self-catered weekend tends to run low on — milk, bread, eggs, fruit, the things you didn't realise you'd need until you needed them. It's not a supermarket; do a proper shop in Henderson, before you head over the hill. But for top-ups and for the visitor who only needs the essentials, the Store covers it.
The Store doesn't sell alcohol or cigarettes. There's no liquor store anywhere in Piha — bring what you need from the city. Worth knowing this before you arrive on a Friday evening planning a wine with dinner.
Next door is the Surf Shop, handy for all your beach essentials.
For most visitors, the Store is the first place they stop after the drive in. For locals, it's the place they're in two or three times a week without thinking about it. It's where you find out what's happening in the village, who's just arrived, what the surf's doing, and whether the road to Karekare is open. The notice board near the door does some of that; the rest is just the conversation at the counter.
Under new management since recently, and the new operators have kept what was working while quietly making things better.
Best for:
Coffee, pies, great cabinet food, dairy items ++, Saturday morning live music.
Worth knowing:
It closes late afternoon.
The most current source for what's happening in the village. The notice board does some of it; the conversation at the counter does the rest.
Hours:
7.30am to 3pm(ish), every day except Christmas Day (364 days a year)
Address:
26 Seaview Road
Website:
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