Category: people & achievements

Hi everyone! Today’s article is something different – it’s not about a person or a shop, but a website!

Within the St. Pierre’s Group, Sushi and Bento Bowl have long had their own sites, with the  menu and locations of everyone’s favourite sushi and Japanese hot meals. But even though K10 premium sushi train opened in December 2019, the only info online was on review sites and social media. With K10 growing steadily, it’s time to showcase the brand message independently.

We’re proud to have recently launched k10sushi.com. Check it out! It highlights K10 as a special concept within the Group, related to but distinct from other St. Pierre’s departments. The food, dynamic train format and restaurant interiors are different, but the people at K10 are just as passionate and creative. The challenge was to present the distinctive energy of K10 online while still letting the heart of our business – our people – shine through.

K10 provided other unique challenges. The two restaurants have different personalities – Newmarket is in a bustling mall, whereas Ponsonby has its own quiet, sophisticated interior and unique décor. And the site needs cater to people who just want the basics quickly, and those who want detail. It’s a delicate balance.

The solution was a scroll design, where visitors in a hurry can quickly flick through the menu and prices, locations and online booking. They pass images of the interiors, the food and our chefs in action – a balanced overview of what makes K10 special. Visitors who stay to look at the pro image gallery and Instagram feed can see videos showing the dynamic movement of the train, more delicate artistry of the food, the restaurant concept, and the latest specials.

In summary, k10sushi.com aims to be elegant, beautiful, and satisfy many tastes – just like the food!

Project lead Glen McCabe commented that

 “I’ve personally never built a website before and didn’t know where to start. K10sushi.com was only possible through the support from K10 restaurant staff, such as the service managers and chefs, and our support office team, including the designers, marketing, and customer support staff. It’s a great example of how people supporting each other can all achieve something new. Thanks so much to everyone involved!”

Most importantly, K10 is growing and website views are increasing. We hope that more and more people will discover amazing new flavours and culinary artistry at K10, enjoying our special brand of hospitality. Here’s to more people at St. Pierre’s taking on new challenges!

Welcome to our latest staff profile!

Today we’re talking to Cris from the Facilities team, the expert at keeping your equipment running! Cris is from Romania, a historic, dynamic part of Europe… so why is he happy with St. Pierre’s in NZ? Read on!

Cris came to NZ with his partner in 2011. His motivation was simple: A lifestyle choice.

“I was looking to move somewhere new for my next challenge. My sister had visited New Zealand and told me it was a good place to live, so I decided to take the plunge.”

After 11 years with St. Pierre’s, he has done just about everything here – accounts, payroll, facilities…

“I also worked as kitchen crew for one month at St. Luke’s. It was valuable, helping me understand how the front line works and what you need. And I got to know many people who are now managers – area manager Lili, Ivy in Tauranga, and Alfred at Te Irirangi. It was intense but fun.”

Cris has been in charge of Facilities for several years now, and loves his role.

“I like challenges, and hate boring repetition. Every day is different! We work with so many different people – shop crew to partners, tradies, landlords, new suppliers… you have to constantly adjust to work with such diverse business partners.”

Cris is in charge of everything in every St. Pierre’s shop working smoothly. For years, he has managed equipment like fridges, lighting and utilities, which his teammate Johnny So now handles. Cris is working more with landlords, building compliance, negotiating contracts and putting procedures in place.

“It’s all about being more proactive and finding a balance, keeping costs down but also reducing risk. I want to help managers meet their targets and keep their business running smoothly. I also want to help staff focus on customer needs with great products and service, with no annoying distractions from malfunctions.”

Over the years, Cris has worked in many jobs, and his experience informs his approach to productive work.

“It feels good when critical tasks are sorted, and you’ve controlled what you can control. When you set a challenge for yourself and achieve it, you should celebrate that. But a real challenge should be 30%-40% more than you know you can do. Pushing your own limits helps you grow.”

Finally, Cris appreciates help from shop staff.

“Speed is critical. Please contact me sooner rather than later. For example, if a freezer is getting loud, vibrating, or smells strange, tell us. Even if you’re just concerned, tell us! Parts failure leads to higher costs of repair or replacement, wasted food, and worst case, a fire. We’re here to help you, so please get in touch.”

Cris and his team are unsung heroes at St. Pierre’s, working in the background to help our great shop crew achieve their goals. 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. Cris shows that the right attitude can take you far, and we’re sure he will continue to reach new heights! Here’s to everyone across the St. Pierre’s Group aiming high!

Welcome back! Today we’re talking to the crew who make the sushi magic happen in Onehunga. Our newest team member is Suman, a dynamic young lady bringing her depth of experiences and passion to our newest shop. What is so interesting about her background? Read on!

Suman is from the high, landlocked plateau of Inner Mongolia. Raised with Mongolian as her mother tongue, she also learned Mandarin from a young age, making her a natural communicator. Her passion for language led her to study at Dalian University of Foreign Languages, hundreds of kms from home. The historic port city of Dalian has deep connections with Japan and Korea, and after graduating with a degree in Japanese, Suman moved to Japan, where she worked and studied for six years. So with such broad experiences across East Asia, why is Suman in Auckland?

“I wanted to improve my English and heard many good things about New Zealand. I came here in 2018 to language school for ten months. The people are just so friendly and relaxed, it’s an amazing place, so I decided to stay. I want to do postgraduate study, but need to boost my IELTS score, so I worked in sales for a couple of years. Then I heard St. Pierre’s are hiring, and jumped at the chance.”

Suman used her communication and analysis skills to research the company, reading on this website about our staff, such as Ning in Hastings and area manager Johnny. It struck her that

“St. Pierre’s has a very diverse workforce. I really like that we give foreigners in NZ a fair chance too. I could see a system to help people grow into assistant managers and managers, which is fantastic. I could also see the company helps people to dream big, and sent in my CV with great hope.”

It didn’t take long for Suman to be hired as part of the founding Onehunga team. And while she’s embracing the work in front of her, she’s also looking ahead other challenges.

I’m very keen to get ahead in the company. I’m inspired by how Rico started as crew a few years back and is now manager of this brand-new shop. With hard work, I can see a clear path to growth. At the same time, I want to learn more about NZ, especially how it works to include its minorities. I did my MA in education sociology, focusing on multiculturalism, and I think comparing East Asian and NZ examples will create positive ideas. In a diverse world, I believe that communication and inclusiveness are the keys to everyone reaching their potential.”

Fluent in three languages and passionate about the power of communication to improve lives, Suman is already a key member of the Onehunga team. We’re very glad she chose to bring her energy and ideas here!

Suman is proud of her achievements so far, and we want to back her ambition! At St. Pierre’s, we have a strong culture of supporting each other as we set challenging goals. Suman shows that a positive attitude takes you to great heights – here’s to everyone across the St. Pierre’s Group aiming high!