Rupa’s Cafe, located on Wellington Street in Freemans Bay, had announced in June that it was shutting down after more than 70 years, with its final day of trading set for July 4.

A poster displayed in the café’s window, signed by owner Dilip Kumar Rupa and staff, had invited customers to visit during its last two weeks to enjoy their favourite samosa, chai or curry "one more time." The message also encouraged patrons to "share one last smile, a warm hug, and say not goodbye – but see you again."

However, Auckland Council launched an investigation this week after discovering the café had reopened and resumed trading without a valid food licence.

On the previous Friday, a Herald staff member observed an “Open” sign outside the café and freshly baked food in the display cabinet, with at least six customers present.

A food inspector was dispatched to the premises on Tuesday, but the café appeared to be closed at the time.

Alan Ahmu, the council’s team leader for Environmental Health Response, confirmed that the food registration for Rupa’s Cafe at 103 Wellington Street had been cancelled in June 2025, and that no new application for a food registration had been received for any café or food business at that address. He added that the council had been unaware of the alleged reopening.

The council stated that another inspection would be conducted within two days following Tuesday's visit.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, Ahmu said a food safety officer had since made contact with the café. He reported that the operator had acknowledged the registration requirement, had ceased trading, and had advised the council they would not resume operations without first becoming registered.

The council confirmed that selling food without a licence remains an offence, with penalties upon conviction of up to $50,000 for individuals and up to $200,000 for body corporates.

Controversial History

 Rupa has previously clashed with Auckland Council and WorkSafe over unpaid property taxes and compliance issues.

He was the first individual to be prosecuted by WorkSafe for failing to display Covid-19 QR codes during the pandemic. At the time, Rupa had expressed objections to the QR codes, saying that no one knew what the coding represented, and that there was no security or knowledge of where the QR data was going.

He was fined $1500 following a 2022 trial held in his absence. Judge Stephen Bonnar, KC, had ruled that Rupa held strong views about the legality of the provisions and had made a deliberate decision not to comply.

The Rupa family also resisted paying rates on the Freemans Bay café and two private homes in Grey Lynn over several years, engaging in a prolonged dispute with the council.

By 2021, the combined unpaid rates on their properties had reached $350,000, prompting the council to begin court proceedings to recover the debt.

In September last year, the Herald reported that the unpaid rates and penalties had escalated to a record $876,623.65 – comprising $662,179.06 for the café and $214,444.59 for the family home – which led the council to seek a forced sale of the Rupa family’s properties.

A last-minute agreement was reached between the council and the Rupa family in April to settle the debt, though the terms of the deal remain confidential.