BurgerFuel

MEET OUR KEV

Posted by BurgerFuel

BurgerFuel Manukau is headed up by Kevin, our half Greek/half Persian/Kiwi through and through franchisee. Always up for a good yarn and with a sense of humour like no other.

Kevin moved to New Zealand in ’89, before the stock market crash, after working in France. With an engineering background, extensive experience in retail and a double major in I.T and business, Kevin has always had both the smarts and the work ethic, evident by the the success of his store and his tenure of 16 years as a BurgerFuel franchisee.

His career saw him in and out of engines and moving into horticulture and agriculture in Greenhithe, before taking the leap to owning a BurgerFuel store in 2004, “I’d had enough of getting my hands dirty”, he says.

His first BurgerFuel experience was walking into the Ponsonby store and falling in love with the environment. “The fast-paced atmosphere and the food was outstanding, and I simply wanted to be a part of it”.

Never one for the 9-5 lifestyle, he lives for the challenges that he faces everyday with owning his own business, particularly in hospitality, and gets a great deal of satisfaction on seeing through those challenges to a resolution. He’s always been solution focused by nature and attributes that to his engineering roots.

One of his biggest challenges is encouraging his staff to stick to procedure and keep the consistency, which is so important with a franchised business. He finds that his staff are so well trained and proactive that they want to change or improve systems or steps – sometimes a gentle reminder that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is required.

He enjoys teaching his staff the skills needed to own their own business one day. “I truly want to see them move on and become their own boss. I want to see them succeed”. He feels that the BurgerFuel network of franchisees is very supportive and he endeavours to replicate that supportive environment within his own team. “It’s important to me that they can approach me if they are struggling and in need of advice or help. I try to be accessible to them and working alongside them really helps, as you can get a feel for staff who need a hand, just by chatting together as you work”.

Kevin loves to get out and about in Auckland with his son, Blake, and wife, Kathleen. They are usually joined by two other important members of their family, Huskies, Ace and Sasha. The family love to frequent their favourite Japanese restaurant in Parnell, GION or Richmond Road Café.

Kev has always had a passion for cars and motorcycles, even restoring a VW super beetle with a super charged engine in his spare time. A lover of “beer, chips and good conversation”, he is also an avid poetry writer, with a love of creative writing. Pop into BurgerFuel Manukau to chat to Kev and meet the Manukau crew!