Meet PJ

PJ was born and raised in a remote town called Nainital, located on the foot hills of the Himalayas in Northern India and has long called New Zealand home. He lives north of Auckland, with a golf course and marina on his doorstep, with wife Linda, daughter, Pri, and son, Ishan. PJ is a family man who loves the accessibility to beaches and trails for hiking on the Hibiscus Coast.

PJ is well versed on franchise systems, his journey with BurgerFuel starting with Number 8 Retail Group, working in both the Caltex business unit and starting out as a site manager for Fix stores (formerly known as Star Mart). Over the years, he was presented with different opportunities and BurgerFuel was one that he couldn’t turn down.

His calm and controlled demeanor saw him jump up the ranks, eventually single-handedly managing several BurgerFuel stores spanning from Auckland to the very bottom of the country. PJ acted as a franchisee for BurgerFuel Kapiti Coast, Timaru, Te Awamutu, The Base (Hamilton), Glenfield, Pakuranga and Invercargill, which saw him wearing many hats and honing both his operational knowledge and leadership skills.

His role included key tasks such as, HR functions, local store marketing, operations and financial management. A juggling act that involved constant travel and keeping in close contact and regular communications with his support crew of store managers.

Today, PJ is the proud owner of BurgerFuel Glenfield and the calibre of store staff that PJ presides over is a credit to his leadership style.

“There are two things that I am very particular about when leading my team. Clear two-way communication, which means that not only do I feel I am being listened to and understood, but also that my staff feel that I am listening, understanding and acting on their needs. Secondly, I put a great deal of focus around appreciation and recognition. I celebrate even the smallest of successes as that really does result in a positive and happy work environment”.

Head in-store and meet PJ and the crew.