Ashnet

Ashnet started in 2001 and went on to run New Zealand’s first chain of internet cafés — eight at its peak, three still trading. The Southmall shop at 55A is one of them, and it does more than screen time: gaming, photocopying, computer repairs and a small computer store all run from the same counter.

The wider business is an internet and IT provider, covering fibre and mobile plans, VoIP and phone systems, web hosting, domains and remote or onsite IT support. That makes the shop a useful stop for anyone who needs a machine looked at, a document copied or a connection sorted, rather than just an hour online.