Auckland Night Markets changes ownership after 16 years

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Night Markets has confirmed a change of ownership.

In a social media post on Monday, Auckland Night Markets said founders Victoria Yao and Paul De Jonge, operators of the markets for 16 years, would hand over the business to an experienced event management team.

Questions emerged on social media about whether this meant the business had been sold or whether another entity was now handling the administrative aspects of the operation.

Yao told RNZ on Tuesday that she had sold the business to Oliver Crawshay.

Crawshay has previously worked with Auckland Night Markets as a supplier of power equipment, with Yao describing him as someone she trusted to take the business into its next phase.

“We’re getting old,” Yao said. “We’re all over 60. We want to pass it on to somebody we can trust.”

Yao said the founders had been careful in the selection process of choosing who would take over the business.

“Oliver and his team have more knowledge around safety because they have been involved in large-scale events,” Yao said.

“We believe they will be more organised and the business will be better managed.”

Auckland Night Markets first opened in Pakūranga in 2010, now operating seven nights a week across different locations in Auckland and Hamilton.

Market organisers have faced some criticism in recent years.

A stabbing at Pakūranga Night Market last year prompted concern among ethnic communities about safety at public gatherings.

Several media outlets have also highlighted claims by vendors of unjustified increases in stall fees, on-the-spot cash collections and unwritten agreements.

One individual also posted a video on TikTok that included allegations of aggressive treatment by organisers.

Yao denied the allegations at the time.

Asked whether the past difficulties were a factor in the recent sale of the business, Yao denied that was the case.

“I don’t care about those complaints,” she said.

“That’s why we’re here, and all the stallholders don’t care because they know what we’re doing for them. That’s why they stay.”

Crawshay said he had officially taken over the business this week.

Yao would remain involved during the transition period, working closely with the new team to help ensure operations continued smoothly, he said.

However, she would no longer be involved in the business once the transition was complete.

Crawshay said he was focused on the transition, but people could expect some changes to Auckland Night Markets in future, including plans to open more markets in Auckland and elsewhere in New Zealand.

“We’re looking to roll it out across the country,” he said.

Crawshay said vendors could also expect changes in the way the markets were managed.

“We are going to have an online vendor management platform with structured pricing for vendors going forward,” he said. “That’s something we’re implementing at the moment.

“We’re writing a very basic agreement for vendors, so they can have some clarity on that.”

Kenny Goto, owner of Karaage House Suruga, a Japanese fried chicken stall at Auckland Night Markets, said he was surprised upon learning of the change of ownership two weeks ago.

Goto has been trading at Auckland Night Markets for about a year, noting he has built a good relationship with Yao.

The change, he said, meant he would now need to establish a relationship with the new owner.

He said the market had helped him build a regular customer base since starting his food stall business.

He now operates five days a week across different locations, but said he had recently seen foot traffic decline due to the economic downturn.

“At some market locations, I can clearly see fewer people coming in,” he said. “My sales are sometimes up and down, even when the market looks busy.”

Goto said Auckland’s night market scene had become increasingly competitive, with the food truck business growing rapidly, while customers were spending less because of cost-of-living pressures.

He hoped the new owner could do more to bring foot traffic back.

B & J Kitchen, a Chinese takeaway vendor, has been trading at Auckland Night Markets since 2014.

Pan Li, one of the owners, said the night market was a good platform for small businesses to get started at a lower cost.

“Night markets are suitable for starting a business because the investment is relatively small,” she said.

“Compared with investing in a physical store, the night market is a relatively low-risk option.”

Li said she was sad to see Yao leave, as she had been trading at the night markets for more than a decade.

However, she hoped the new owner could bring more diverse food options to the markets.

Crawshay was optimistic about the future of Auckland Night Markets despite the weak economic environment.

“It’s proved to be recession-proof,” he said. “We’ve been through years of recession, and the markets are still strong.

“We’re still going through hard times in New Zealand at the moment. People can’t afford to go out to restaurants to eat, so this is an affordable night out for a family.”

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/auckland-night-markets-changes-ownership-after-16-years/