Welcome to our new series about St. Pierre’s assistant managers!
Assistant managers are some of the unsung heroes of our business, helping the shop manager with their many responsibilities, training new staff, while still making food and delivering great customer service. It’s a lot to balance!
Today we’re heading to Glen Innes, a vibrant, diverse suburb in central-east Auckland, to visit TJ. GI is a dual-format shop, and TJ is part of the Bento Bowl leadership team.
His parents know him as Theeradet Janprom – but everyone at St. Pierre’s just calls him “TJ”. Originally from Thailand, TJ came to NZ just three years ago to study English, before completing a Masters in Business Management at Auckland University of Technology. He joined Bento Bowl in June 2020, advancing to assistant manager after just a few months.
“Now you mention it, I haven’t been with St. Pierre’s for that long – or that long in NZ, for that matter. I really love the lifestyle here and want to stay. I hope to apply more and more of what I learned at university in business, and I aim to own my own business one day.”
“To that end, the St. Pierre’s partnership programme is really attractive, and it’s definitely on my radar. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to my next challenge as a store manager. I love the drive-through concept the company is working on, and I’m keen to be involved in the Onehunga shop.”
But assistant managers always have plenty to do in front of them. TJ manages a dynamic, hard-working team at GI – interestingly, most of whom are also from Thailand. Both the locals and visitors to GI love their service, which causes a small problem… “we’re short of staff right now because the shop is always so busy! So I’m working six days a week.”
Little wonder that TJ spends his valuable days off focusing on the little things in life, like going to the gym, eating well, and taking time out for himself and his partner.
So, if you’re visiting Glen Innes, or just passing through on your way to the beach or mall, be sure to stop by and see TJ and the team. And here’s to great people taking on more challenges across the St. Pierre’s Group!
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