Kapiti Coastlands shop opening!

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

Welcome! On Thursday 27 November we opened another great new shop – Coastlands, on the Kāpiti Coast.

Kāpiti is a laid-back coastal area near Wellington. It’s a popular weekend destination, with a lot of through traffic on the new motorway, but it’s also a large residential area in its own right.

Director Nick laid out why this new shop is so significant.

We’re trying to create partnership opportunities around NZ, including in Wellington, our home town. We haven’t had any new partnerships here for a long time, but we’ve been actively looking for a suitable location with strong business development potential.

We’ve especially been looking in the Kāpiti area. Building this shop was more complex than usual, but worth it. Wellington city is focused on the CBD, so it’s hard to find locations that can work day and night. This shop can open later hours, so it’s good for both sushi and Bento Bowl. It’s also next to Pak N Save and part of a larger mall complex, so has strong foot traffic.

I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who came to help with the opening, including Serenity from New Plymouth, partner Edith from Petone, manager Denny from Lambton Square, assistant manager Myla from Johnsonville and area manager Kei from Christchurch. For the bento opening on 14 January, area managers Johnny and Hiroshi plus Onehunga bento manager Ooi all came down from Auckland. Thanks everyone!

Design and Delivery Manager Alina reflected on the Coastlands project with pride

This is a chilled coastal area but with a lot of through traffic and a bus station, so we’ve created a peaceful space for everyone to relax in.

As there are lots of families here, we’ve also made it a kid-friendly space. There are lots of little details like covering off any sharp corners which make it appealing for families, but it also works for people passing through.

It’s in a central retail hub which is a major shopping destination, and we’re excited to bring new food choices to the people here.

Founding partner Jifeng was also thrilled at the opening, commenting

I’m so fortunate to have outstanding people who want to work here. I sent key staff to other stores for training, and they proved exceptional and learned so quickly. Some managers even approached them directly, hoping they could transfer to their stores.

I’m also incredibly grateful to Queensgate Main and Kiosk, Petone, and Johnsonville for providing 3-4 weeks of training to my staff. This enabled the new store to operate smoothly during its first week. Thanks also to everyone who came to help – they demonstrated their high training standards and experience, making navigating the first week much easier, and keeping the many customers happy!

I’m so grateful to the Supply, Facilities, and IT Departments—they handled many tasks behind the scenes. And it was truly inspiring to see Area Managers Johnny and Hiroshi collaborating—the first day of our Bento launch was a testament to great teamwork.

Making the roster for nearly 20 people was the toughest job at the start – it’s a much bigger shop than I’m used to! But staff performance improves daily, truly making me smile and feel relieved at the end of each day.

ANOTHER HUGE THANKS TO THE TEAM HERE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US.

Finally, this will not be the last new partnership opportunity in Wellington. We’re actively working to create more, so watch this space!

READ AND WIN!
Congratulations to Nan Gao, our Lincoln Road manager, who won her choice of one $50 WOOLWORTHS VOUCHER or a DOUBLE PASS MOVIE VOUCHER at Hoyts or Event Cinemas for her answer last time.

We had 8 staff come to help with the Taupō Tauhara sushi opening, including one area manager and many partners. Lots of experience makes for great teamwork! Thanks to everyone who came and for your hard work!

This week we’re giving away the same prize.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Which shops helped with the Kapiti Coastlands opening by providing training opportunities for the new staff?

Entries close at 12 noon on Thursday 12 March 2026.

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