Welcome to our latest St. Pierre’s partner feature!
Today we’re in Rotorua, visiting Yohanes. Originally from bustling Indonesia, Yohanes loves the laid-back lifestyle in NZ’s geothermal capital.
Yohanes came to NZ in 2006, to study European cooking.
“I’ve always loved food. While training to be a chef, I worked at some other sushi shops. Then I joined St. Pierre’s in May 2012, and things went so well. There’s so much scope for growth. I started out in Symonds Street, moved to St Lukes and Lynn Mall, then became manager at Glen Innes. We have such diverse customer bases around Auckland, it’s just amazing. We can learn so much from our customers.”
At the same time, Yohanes had a growing family, and providing for them was also on his mind.
“I originally came to NZ because my aunt lived here and I heard good things about the lifestyle. I met my wife at the Auckland Indonesian church in 2011, and we now have four kids. Family is really important to me, and I was determined that my career moves work for them too.”
When a partnership opportunity arose in 2017, Yohanes was ready!
“The St. Pierre’s profit sharing and bonus plans were nice extras for my family. I had heard about the partnership programme from my previous manager, looked into it, decided I wanted to commit, and set myself a target of becoming a partner. The new shop being in such a beautiful area made the opportunity even better!”
After moving to Rotorua, Yohanes could buy a nice house for his family, and soon put down roots in the local community.
“Education is really important here, and the local schools are well respected. My kids love their school, and education is good for the shop too. We work with school lunch providers, supplying sushi of the day vouchers for school prizegiving. The principals usually give voucher awards every two weeks, and post pictures on the school Facebook page. The students are proud to bring in their vouchers, and our staff respond with praise and encouragement.”
In such a tight-knit community, these initiatives benefit everyone.
“In Rotorua, word of mouth is powerful promotion. Associating St. Pierre’s with success creates a positive image which the students love and helps the shop too. I’m very grateful for HQ support with the voucher programme.”
And of course, looking after people includes the shop staff!
“I want to help all our staff get their bonuses. Each week, I tell them in advance what the weekly target for is. We talk about what creates success – efficient production, great service, all the little things which make customers happy.”
Yohanes celebrating success with some of his talented team
“And our staff all love Starbucks, but it’s a bit far to walk. On busy days I go grab frappés in summer and hot coffees in winter. It does get chilly here, and a mocha goes down great!”
Yohanes is justifiably proud of his many achievements. At St. Pierre’s, we’re proud to have amazing people like him on our team! We have a strong culture of being “people first”, supporting each other as we set challenging goals. Yohanes shows how far the right attitude can take you, and we’re sure he will continue to reach new heights! Here’s to everyone across the St. Pierre’s Group aiming high!
Great true story and Yohannes deserves every success and more. You cannot find a more positive person than Yohannes!! Even if things go wrong he always keeps his beaming smile! Anyone who aims to be like Yohannes and chooses a career dealing with people and the public will be successful!! All the best Yohannes for 2022!