Taste of freedom: Auckland residents rush to fast-food joints as Covid restrictions ease

Long queues didn't deter Aucklanders hoping to get their first taste of takeaway food and coffee in more than a month

Thousands of Aucklanders who had been deprived of greasy fries, burgers and spicy chicken for more than a month have flocked to their local fast-food joints to celebrate the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Queues began to build late Tuesday ahead of the rule change at midnight. One eager customer pitched a tent to be first in line for KFC, while cars snaked around parking lots in anticipation of a McDonald's fix. Throughout the day, the demand did not let up, with cafes reporting serving hundreds of takeaway coffees before 9am.