ABOUT US
Why slow food, served fast?
Good ideas come from limitations. In our case, it was the size of the tiny prep kitchen in our lakefront café.
Being more like a home kitchen, it gave us the idea that we could produce family-style food - just like we grew up with.
Big Fig would be about thoughtful, seasonal, delicious, healthy, ‘modern Middle Eastern’ food. And the twist?
We’d serve it up with all the convenience of a fast-food cafe. ‘Slow food, served fast’ was born.
Who is Big Fig?
Two sisters started Big Fig Wanaka in 2016. Shaz and Chrissie Lahood grew up in a food-obsessed Kiwi family of ten kids and named the café for the fig tree that grew in their Taranaki backyard. The food is inspired by their Lebanese heritage.
Since we opened, our eatery has stood apart for its unique ‘slow food, served fast’ concept and distinctive style.
Sustainability
We never stop looking for ways to be more sustainable:
We’re 100% single-use cup-free.
We offer three plate sizes to ensure people are getting the quantity of food they need and discourage waste.
We use no plastic in our takeaways and work constantly to reduce plastic in our system.
We offer a $1 discount to people who bring their own takeaway containers.
100% of our food scraps go to feed local pigs.
We offer a $2 discount on all vegetarian and vegan plates on Mondays to encourage plant-based eating.
Join the crew at our Locals Choice-winning eatery
We employ baristas, servers, runners, chefs, preppers and kitchenhands (a.k.a. dishies).
Because we’re busy, we have lots of staff and positions coming up all the time. We like people who are hard-working and fun.
If that sounds like you, apply now using the button below. You can also send your resume to wanaka@bigfig.co.nz.
“We’re committed to reducing our impact on the planet.
We were one of the first cafes in Wanaka to go SUC-free (Single-Use Cup-free) and we’ve never looked back.”
Hear more about our story below …
