St Pierre's Sushi

File:St Pierre's Sushi South Dunedin, 4 Nov 2024.jpg.]]

St Pierre's Sushi originated as a delicatessen and seafood store in Wellington in 1984 run by Nick Katsouli and his two brothers.{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Aimee |title=St Pierre's to open New Zealand-first drive-thru sushi store in Auckland |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/retail/st-pierres-to-open-new-zealand-first-drive-thru-sushi-store-in-auckland/I3PFJSVNTW5JU3U5N25RJDTCYA/ |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113035402/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/retail/st-pierres-to-open-new-zealand-first-drive-thru-sushi-store-in-auckland/I3PFJSVNTW5JU3U5N25RJDTCYA/|archive-date=13 January 2025|url-status=live}} The restaurant's name St Pierre was derived from the French name for the New Zealand fish John Dory, and also refers to St Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. In 1992, St Pierre's began selling sushi. In 1993 St Pierres's owner Nick Katsoulis formed a partnership with the Japanese food exporter, The Tokyo Mutual Trading Company, to obtain cooking condiments and seafood products for producing sushi.

According to academics Rumi Sakamoto and Matthew Allen, St Pierre's provided a template for the emergence of "Kiwi standard sushi" by marketing sushi as a "healthy, value-for-money lunch option able to compete with other ethnic food court options" and hiring Asian staff members who could pass as Japanese. The chain also benefited from changes to New Zealand's immigration legislation in 1987 which saw an increase in Asian immigration.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alex |title='What's bento?': How sushi won our hearts, minds and stomachs in Aotearoa |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/09-08-2024/whats-bento-how-sushi-won-our-hearts-minds-and-stomachs-in-aotearoa |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=The Spinoff |date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915012944/https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/09-08-2024/whats-bento-how-sushi-won-our-hearts-minds-and-stomachs-in-aotearoa |archive-date=15 September 2024|url-status=live}}

Between 1993 and 2000, St Pierre's established sushi restaurants in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. By November 2008, St Pierre's had established 28 stores in the major centres of New Zealand. That same month, the sushi chain opened a store in Ponsonby.

By December 2016, St Pierre's had opened a store in New Plymouth, creating 10-12 new jobs.{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Hannah |title=Hundreds queue around a busy New Plymouth street for a free sushi lunch |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/87299671/hundreds-queue-around-a-busy-new-plymouth-street-for-a-free-sushi-lunch |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=Stuff |date=7 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113035043/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/87299671/hundreds-queue-around-a-busy-new-plymouth-street-for-a-free-sushi-lunch |archive-date=13 January 2025|url-status=live}} In February 2018, the sushi chain announced plans to open a drive-through restaurant in Auckland by the end of the year. In November 2019, St Pierre's opened a store in Invercargill.{{cite news |last1=Steyl |first1=Louisa |title=Shoppers queued up from early morning to be the first to shop at Kmart Invercargill |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/117629179/shoppers-queued-up-from-early-morning-to-be-the-first-to-shop-at-kmart-invercargill |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=Southland Times |publisher=Stuff |date=22 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029163737/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/117629179/shoppers-queued-up-from-early-morning-to-be-the-first-to-shop-at-kmart-invercargill |archive-date=29 October 2022|url-status=live}}

In 2022, the company opened its first drive-through restaurant in Onehunga, Auckland. In 2022, St Pierre's closed two stores in Pakuranga and Queen Street, Auckland. By February 2023, St Pierre's Sushi had 69 stores across New Zealand including new stores in Tauranga, Ashburton, Nelson and Karaka in South Auckland. To boost growth, Katsoulis confirmed that St Pierre's had introduced bento bowls to its menu and self-service kiosks. In 2023, the company also signed an agreement with food delivery service UberEats. {{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Aimee |title=St Pierre's Sushi expanding business, set to roll-out second drive-thru |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131134248/st-pierres-sushi-expanding-business-set-to-rollout-second-drivethru |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Stuff |date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314060322/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131134248/st-pierres-sushi-expanding-business-set-to-rollout-second-drivethru |archive-date=14 March 2023|url-status=live}}

In March 2024, St Pierre's confirmed plans to launch a second drive-through restaurant in Hastings.{{cite news |last1=Laing |first1=Doug |title=Drive-thru sushi at old Stortford Lodge petrol station site as Hastings fast food alley grows |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/drive-thru-sushi-at-old-stortford-lodge-petrol-station-site-as-hastings-fast-food-alley-grows/GNDIRGPATVFV7O7VJJH2J3RZOY/ |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=Hawke's Bay Today |date=9 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517044753/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/drive-thru-sushi-at-old-stortford-lodge-petrol-station-site-as-hastings-fast-food-alley-grows/GNDIRGPATVFV7O7VJJH2J3RZOY/ |archive-date=17 May 2024|url-status=live}} In November 2024, the sushi chain opened its first store in Dunedin.{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Tim |title=Sushi fans flock to new store |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/the-south-today/sushi-fans-flock-new-store |access-date=13 January 2025 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=7 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112231728/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/the-south-today/sushi-fans-flock-new-store |archive-date=12 November 2024|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Official website|https://stpierres.co.nz/}}

{{Retailers in New Zealand}}

Category:Restaurants established in 1993

Category:1993 establishments in New Zealand

Category:Catering and food service companies of New Zealand

Category:Fast-food chains of New Zealand

Category:Food and drink companies based in Auckland

Category:Food brands of New Zealand

Category:Sushi restaurants