Taupō Tauhara shop opening!

READ AND WIN $50 VOUCHER GIVEAWAY! PLUS CHECK THE READER PRIZE WINNER FROM LAST TIME! DETAILS AT THE END.

Welcome! On Thursday 13 November we opened another great new shop – Tauhara, in Taupō.

Taupō is a beautiful lakefront resort town in the central North Island. It’s a popular year-round destination, with a solid local economy. Plus it’s on the junction of two main highways, so it’s no wonder we’ve wanted to open here.

And it seems the locals have been waiting too – check out the reception!

Despite the rain, the crowd got into the traditional S-T-P-I-E-R-R-E-S chant, especially the tamariki. Enjoy!

Director Nick was thrilled, saying

Taupō has been one of our most requested locations over the last 10 years. So many customers have asked, but we hadn’t found the right place.

By that, I mean we take location very seriously. We don’t want to let our staff and partners down. Most of our future stores are partnership shops, so we want to create the best possible opportunity for success. Our new Taupō partner is TJ, who worked at various Auckland shops, including managing St Lukes, one of our largest. He’s ready to make the most of this opportunity!

It was a very strong opening with lots of positive energy. A huge kia ora to everyone at Te Kura o Waitahanui for making it a special day!

Finally, a big thanks to the managers who came to help. Every shop opening reminds me of how strong our team work is! Thanks so much to area manager Lili, Francisco from Napier Onekawa, Jack from Te Rapa, Yohanes and Hana from Rotorua, Tee from Papamoa, Cherry from Albany Westfield and Keiko-san from Oteha Valley.

For the Bento Bowl opening on 21 January, Alfred from Onehunga, Jane from Glen Innes and Eugene from Hastings Heretaunga provided similarly strong support. Staff all over the upper North Island put their hands up, and we’re so grateful.

Head of Property Steve was pleased, commenting

It’s a great site. It has high visibility in a high-traffic location, right on the junction roundabout of the bypass to Auckland and the main roads to Hawkes Bay and Tūrangi. With the petrol stations, Starbucks and other fast food it’s a hub for travellers.

But it’s also a big draw for locals. The supermarket coming soon and Mitre 10 create a retail hub with lots of growth potential. We were very lucky to find an opportunity in this popular development!

However, it wasn’t easy to transform an existing office building to meet our customers’ needs. Our design team tackled the challenge with enthusiasm and achieved a great outcome, creating a welcoming space customers have flocked to.

New partner TJ was busy but really happy, saying

I dreamed of being chosen for a partner shop for years. It is the biggest challenge I have ever taken on, and I could not have done it without support from everyone at St Pierres.

I had a dream of running my own business, but I had no clue how it would look – until I learned about the partnership programme. Since then, my goal has been clear. I tried my best, slowly improved myself, and finally achieved my goal in my 5th year with St Pierres.

I fell in love with Taupō from the very first visit, and my next big goal is to settle down in this peaceful town and make our shop the best sushi shop around. 

We received such a warm welcome and full support from the locals. Many told us they were so excited knowing that St Pierres was coming to town. They were waiting for us, and we don’t want to let them down!

We’re really grateful for the warm reception from the Taupō community. Be sure to drop by and say hi to TJ and his team if you’re in town!

READ AND WIN!
Congratulations to Sooin, our New Plymouth Gover partner, who won his choice of one $50 WOOLWORTHS VOUCHER or a DOUBLE PASS MOVIE VOUCHER at Hoyts or Event Cinemas for his answer last time.

We had 5 in person and 1 online – so total 6 – profit sharing meetings in 2025. Thanks to everyone who attended and for your hard work every day!

This week we’re giving away the same prize.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
How many staff (in total) came to help with the Taupō Tauhara sushi opening Thursday 13 November?

Entries close at 12 noon on Wednesday 4 March 2026.

Please comment with your answer, your name and shop name.
Competiton open to St Pierres staff only.