While hundreds gather at the Cook Islands Games for sportsmanship, some families and businesses are using the opportunity to supplement their income and give back to those in need.

Three small food businesses, including a food truck, a caravan and a newly opened takeaway restaurant, are banking on the island buzz from the 2024 Cook Islands Games to bring in customers and ring up sales.

Vibe Fish Van, a locally-famous food truck based at the Social Centre in Nikao, is known for their famous burgers.

Across the road, the National Beach Courts and the National Tennis Court have been hosting Cook Islands Games events this week. The takeaway has been kept busy since the start of the biennial Games a week ago, serving athletes, supporters and visitors to the island.

The Vibe staff members are doing a weekly burger charity challenge from Tuesday to Sunday. Each staff member creates their own burger idea, sells it, and donates one dollar from each sale to charity.

The organisations they donate to include Cook Islands Red Cross, Te Kainga mental health, and others across the island that need help.

According to Laiza Avojo, the manager of Vibe Fish Van, they have the perfect spot at the Social Centre, where tourists come in non-stop.

They share the spot with other vendors, and their goal is not only to make money but also to give to those in need.

“When we started selling food here in Nikao, it has already been on the market because a lot of vendors come here on a Sunday as well and a lot of tourists come to this place and it’s clean and everything so it’s a really good spot and it helps the business too,” Avojo explains.

“We have a lot of tourists and athletes buying from us and even other vendors here. This week has been really busy but also good for business and just like any other business, we’re just here to sell food and hope to put a smile on our customers’ faces.”

A young couple and owners of the Fresh and Healthy Food truck, Sophia and Luke Jensen-Johnstone, are enjoying a comfortable lifestyle after returning to the Cook Islands and launching their mobile food business.

They started their food truck business three months ago, stopping from door to door and mainly work places, selling their ready-made food takeaways to make working life easier for workers.

“Pretty much our service is making lunches for all the workers around the Cook Islands, tradies to office people to anyone that’s out and about. So it’s pretty much to help out the locals so they don’t have to pay for fuel to go and get their lunch,” says Luke.

The couple prepares lunch and delivers them around the island on their Fresh and Healthy Food truck. They operate from Monday to Friday from 9am to 12 noon.

“Usually by then we’re pretty much sold out. So, we have a time between, in that, three hours to push all the food out.”

According to the couple, if they have leftovers “then we usually go and give it to a family that we know of that doesn't have a lot of anything. So, helping not only the people, but the ones in need as well”.

“We make everything, and everything is made fresh on the day. And whatever we don’t sell, we give out to the ones that need it.”

They mostly sell footlong subs, which are a combo that comes with a drink.

“We also do plates, which are salads. So, everything that goes in our subs is pretty much minus the bread and a plate. For the ones that are on a healthier option, we also do swaps. We have an option of drinks, juice, water, Coke Zero, and Up and Go. We do cheesecakes, a little bit of something, a little treat.”

The food truck business is the main income for the family, providing for them and their eight-year-old daughter.

“We do have a daughter, she’s eight years old, and she gets in there and helps out as well with the cookies.

“We provide a service that makes it a little bit easier for everyone, for the workers.

“We’re not here to make a lot of money. We’re just here to survive, really, pretty much, live day to day,” says Sophia.

Pawan Kumar, manager and owner of a newly opened takeaway restaurant in Arorangi called the Raro Burger House, says their main goal is to make people happy.

Kumar says the restaurant has been busy since it opened on September 17^th, and the current Cook Islands Games have kept them even busier.

This has helped their business get off to a great start.

“Business is going really good, it was very busy in the start then we were slow for a bit then the Cook Islands Games which is keeping us busy too,” says Kumar.

“But aside from the Games, it’s always good to see people coming all the way from the other side of the island just to buy something from us because our goal is to make people happy.

“It’s been great so far and hopefully it stays this way.”