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Queenstown hospo superstar Margo’s is celebrating its birthday in style – raising a salt-rimmed margarita to four years of business success and sustainability milestones.
Margo’s was ‘born’ in 2020, opening against all the odds in the midst of a pandemic, bringing a vibrant, fun, Mexican-inspired vibe to the Queenstown hospitality scene.
Now the pandemic baby has grown up to become a fully-fledged hospo superstar.
Over the past four years, Margos has served up more than 42,000 tacos, shaken more than 110,000 margaritas and delighted customers with 1750 birthday tequila songs.
Margo’s fourth birthday comes as Future Hospitality Group celebrates 13 years of innovation and growth and a steady flow of accolades.
This year, Margo’s executive head chef Matt Tobin was a finalist in the New Zealand Hospitality Awards ‘Chef of the Year’ category.
Matt started with FHG as head chef developing the Margo’s menu but soon became a shareholder alongside co-owners Bert Haines and James Ace. He’s now co-owner of Margo’s and odd saint and executive head chef for the seven-strong FHG portfolio of businesses.
Margo’s is a leader in sustainable systems. In collaboration with Waste to Wilderness, 140kg of food waste is collected each week from Margo’s for composting instead of heading to landfill.
Margo’s also keeps a lid on glass waste. Its partnership with Eco Spirits has saved 4470 glass bottles from going to landfill by replacing normal bottles with the reusable ecoTOTE system which holds up to six bottles of spirits. One tree is also planted for each cycle of an ecoTOTE through the ecoSPIRITS closed-loop network, and Margo’s now has 745 trees planted in its name.
Sustainable systems flow throughout the wider business, such as an innovative chickpea process involving three of its venues. One can of chickpeas provides aquafaba to cocktail bar Little Mez for a perfectly fluffy cocktail, the chickpeas are then used by the Margo’s kitchen team to make hummus which makes its final appearance on Little Blackwood’s signature cheeseboard.
Margo’s mindful practice also extends to the community. More than $7000 has been donated to local charities and sponsorships since it opened. Four years in, Bert and James couldn’t be more proud of their team and grateful for continued community support.
“We’ve created incredible relationships with our local community and with those who come back to visit us year on year, which is really why we wanted to do this in the first place,” says Bert. “We want to acknowledge that and say ‘thank you’.”
