Hayden Lind probably wouldn’t have predicted that fixing cars, making coffee and spending nearly a decade in financial advice would eventually lead him to owning a Four Square.
But after nearly three years building his grocery experience and eight store applications, he’s landed exactly where he is. With wife Tori’s support, Lind will take over Four Square St Johns in Whanganui as its new owner-operator.
Grocery wasn’t entirely new to Lind. He started out stacking shelves in Feilding as a high school student before training as a mechanic and later running a Streetwise Coffee franchise in Sanson, Manawatū, where he got his first taste of business ownership.
He then spent almost a decade in financial advice before running his own financial advice business.
With friends and family working in the Foodstuffs North Island co-operative, Lind began asking questions and saw how grocery could combine what he enjoyed most: running a business, working with people and being part of a local community.
After several years considering the move, he sold his business and went back to where his working life had started. This time, though, stacking shelves was part of a much bigger plan.
In 2024, Lind joined Four Square Mahora in Hastings, where he gained hands-on experience across fresh foods, buying and duty management. After a stint at Four Square Te Mata, the family moved to Four Square Coromandel to continue his path towards ownership.
There, then owner-operator Chris Beard gave him the autonomy to step into store management at one of the North Island’s busiest seasonal Four Squares. At the height of summer, its team grew to around 40 people.
At Four Square Coromandel, Lind also completed the Four Square North Island Ownership Immersion Programme and was approved in December 2025, enabling him to apply for a store of his own.
Four Square St Johns stood out for its strong local connections and future potential, while also bringing them closer to family in Palmerston North. Lind are grateful to be taking on a store with a strong team already in place.
Outgoing owners Gareth Coburn and Trin McCarthy have helped make that transition easier, sharing their knowledge of the store and the community they’ve been part of for the past eight years.
With PAK’nSAVE, New World, four other Four Squares and Woolworths competing for Whanganui shoppers, Lind knows locals have plenty of choice.
“All of those stores are busy for different reasons,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re giving people a good reason to shop with us.”
One way they plan to do that is with a new, larger Four Square St Johns, set to be built next door in around two years. Funded by the Lind family, it will offer customers more space, better access and a wider range.
Lind added that support from other owner-operators has helped as he prepares to take on his own store, with many reaching out to offer advice and share their experiences.
