'Same storm, different boat': Cafes across Asia during COVID-19

For the last couple of months, Alun Evans’ day has begun at 10.45am.

A late start for someone in the coffee business, but a necessary one. Evans is the founder of Antipodean Coffee, a coffee chain with cafes across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

In March, the ex-Wellingtonian got caught up in New Zealand’s lockdown on the Kāpiti Coast, unable to get back to his base in the Philippines.

His day starts with a team meeting before 11am, when he catches up with staff to deal with the fallout of the pandemic and restrictions across territories.

“Each country is different,” he said.