Tal (Silverdale)

Welcome to our latest St. Pierre’s partner feature!

Today we’re in Silverdale, to the north of Auckland, visiting Tal. She’s now the shop partner there, but has a fascinating story! Known as Ramanya to her parents but “Tal” to everyone else, she was born in Thailand but been in NZ since age 10, considering herself “half and half” Thai and Kiwi.

Over her eight or so years at St. Pierre’s, Tal has worked at many shops around Auckland, picking up many valuable experiences on the way. Beginning at Lynnmall, then Henderson, Lincoln Road and the old 277 Broadway in Newmarket, Tal then became assistant manager at K Road before becoming manager of Auckland Airport shop and finally partner at Silverdale in October 2022.

She recalls that

“Change is kind of scary, but I got used to it. I learned different techniques and approaches from the many managers and crew I worked with, and built a clear picture of how I wanted to manage my own shop.

Then COVID hit. I was faced with making a decision – I dreamed of becoming a shop partner, but was also thinking about going back to university. At that stage I was already an assistant manager – would I take the study route or push on and try to reach the top?

After talking about it with my mum – who has worked for St. Pierre’s for many years and knows the company well – and thinking what was best for my son, who was 10 at the time, I decided to press on.”

We’re glad that Tal stuck with us, because she soon earned promotion to manage the Airport shop. Things obviously went well there, because in 2022 Tal was named Sushi Manager of the Year, our highest annual award!

That success launched her into a partnership opportunity, to replace the retiring Silverdale partner. Thinking back, Tal described the move as

“It was a very stressful first few weeks. But as an existing shop, we had experienced staff who I could rely on. After I got to know everyone and got used to the local sales trends and customer base, then I could start trying some of the new ideas I had brought in.

But my focus is always firstly on the basics: smooth production and keeping the shop clean and tidy. Every customer who walks in should first see a welcoming environment, and then be welcomed again by friendly, knowledgeable staff. I believe that all the little things the team does to create positive impressions and experiences will lead to sales growth.”

“It’s a busy shop and has only got busier over time! We’ve set ourselves goals – such as growing sales on Saturdays – and thought of new initiatives to meet those goals. I make sure to let the team know clearly how much progress we have made, so everyone stays keen to always do better.

And we definitely take time to celebrate what we achieve as a team and what each staff member likes. Whenever we have bonus meetings or team dinners, I ask the staff what they feel like eating that day, and off I go to get pizza, bubble tea, or whatever they want. I pay for what they choose out of my own pocket, because it’s important to show how valuable their efforts are in a way they will like.”

Tal is proud of her journey and achievements, but there is still plenty more to come. At St. Pierre’s, we’re proud to have amazing people like Tal on our team! Next time you’re in Silverdale or heading up north, drop by to say hi – and here’s to everyone across the St. Pierre’s Group aiming high!