TIMELINE
In 1979 First shop opens ‘The Fish Factory’ by George Katsoulis in Cuba St Wellington. This specializes in Fish, Fresh & Fried and is a success, with Perry, Costa, and Nick working on Friday nights and weekends, while studying at University.
THE 80’s
•1984 Perry Katsoulis, aged 24, leaves IBM where he has worked in the finance department. Encourages brothers Costa, aged 22 and Nick, age 19 to team up and open a retail shop. As the boys have no money, Father George Katsoulis agrees to mortgage the family home so as to get a loan of $90,000.
•1984 August 29th, The first St Pierre’s shop opens in the BNZ CENTRE in Wellington, specilaizing in a huge range of delicatessen foods.
•1986 Nick goes to Auckland, and opens the first Auckland Branch of St Pierre’s in the BNZ Tower in Queen St. The same year St Pierre’s wins the TOP SHOP Contest in Wellington,and voted best retail shop by the public.•1987 St Pierre’s opens second Branch in Wellington in Queens gate, Lower Hutt. BNZ Store also opens its first Bakery section, and fruit & Vegetable department.
1987-1989- Several new stores open in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, specialising in seafood and gourmet foods
THE 90’s
•1991-1994 St Pierres opens in Saudi Arabia in a joint venture with the Saudi fisheries Company
•1994 St Pierres opens the first sushi bar in 277 Newmarket Auckland. It has a very limited range of only 6 sushi flavours.
•1994-1999 Sushi grows at St Pierres and becomes a major part of the business, and St Pierres introduces specilized Sushi stores in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
.1997– St Pierre’s introduces a profit sharing plan for all associates
1998- St Pierres moves its office headquarters from Wellington to Karangahape Road, Auckland
THE NEW CENTURY
•2002- new Japanese hot food section “Bento Bowl” introduced
•2000- 2005 several new sushi stores opened in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch
•2005-2009 St Pierres focuses on the expansion and development of the Sushi business, with the goal of being the major sushi retailer in New Zealand
•2009-2010 3 new stores open Tauranga, Riccarton and Lincoln Road open, bringing the total to 29 stores, in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Hamilton and Tauranga are opened with long standing associates Jack and Joanne as St Pierres first ” partnership stores”.
NEW LOOK ST PIERRES STORES IN HAMILTON AND RICARTON RD CHRISTCHURCH LEAD US INTO 2010 and BEYOND!
