Spawning a sushi revolution

St. Pierre's opened its second store in Taupō last week, with two of New Zealand’s early pioneers of sushi retail making an appearance. 

By Dan Hutchinson 

Brothers Costa and Nick Katsoulis were on hand as the store gave away 300 free sushi packs in just 25 minutes. 

They, along with brother Perry, co-founded St. Pierre's in Wellington in the early 1980s and say the business grew from a simple family tradition and a belief they could do things differently. 

Their father George – a Greek immigrant – ran a fish retail business in Wellington. 

"We used to work with my father during college and university, as all immigrants do, working in the family business," Costa says. 

So, in 1984, armed with marketing degrees, a solid background in seafood, and some help from Dad, the brothers launched St. Pierre's as a large deli in Wellington, selling chicken, pork, cheeses and a wide range of seafood.  

St. Pierre’s founders Nick Katsoulis (left) and his brother Costa Katsoulis open the new store with store manager Fern Pelham (left) and Lili Xu. Photo: Dan Hutchinson

Sushi was not a mainstream food in those days but it was on the menu from day one, though initially only as a free sample at the store's opening. 

It took several more years before sushi became a serious part of the business. The turning point came when Nick's Korean wife stepped in after earlier attempts to sell sushi had repeatedly stalled. 

"She got her kimono on and started making it, and suddenly people took interest because it was more authentic," Costa says. 

They now have 88 stores, including two in Taupō. 

Costa puts part of the success down to a strict sourcing policy.  

"I would say it's probably the only sushi company that actually imports all of the ingredients from Japan directly, not from China or Korea. So it's got its own unique taste."