Alta Bike and Snow Shop’s expanding, opening up a second store at Frankton’s Five Mile to better reach the locals.
Owners and managers Aaron Fernandez and Duane Courtney opened the new store last week after figuring their loyal local customers are less likely to travel to the existing Duke Street location because of traffic, roadworks and incoming tourists.
‘‘We had a kind of soft opening,’’ Fernandez says.
‘‘There’s still things to do but we wanted to just get the doors open instead of waiting.’’
Since Alta opened in 2010, it’s grown alongside Queenstown itself.
Fernandez and Courtney are also grateful to get back valuable staff after Covid, with the return of ‘‘fantastic’’ bike mechanics and boot-fitters from overseas.
They’ve done a lot of the work at the new site themselves, and say they’re working on ‘‘rebuilding [Alta’s] culture’’.
Courtney says the Five Mile branch will begin rentals a bit closer to winter.
