Charlie, aka Mr. Four Square, has returned to Huntly.
With the opening of the brand-new Four Square Huntly, led by local owner-operator Priyanka Patel and her husband, Kurvesh, Charlie will again be a familiar face in the community, thanks to the Patels’ commitment and hard work.
The contemporary store officially opened today, marking the culmination of two years of hard work for the couple.
“My husband and I ran an independent convenience store in Gisborne for about five years, but our goal has always been to own a Four Square,” said Priyanka Patel, owner-operator of Four Square Huntly.
“So, when the opportunity to buy an empty store in Huntly came up, we knew it would be hard work, but we jumped at the chance.”
In addition to settling into a new area and raising a young family, the couple has two children and has spent the last two years rebuilding the store to create a modern supermarket with customer convenience.
“We wanted to create a Four Square the community could be proud of. Huntly has been so amazingly welcoming to my family; we want to repay that support,” said Priyanka Patel.
“People will be familiar with the site, as several years ago it was formerly Four Square, but we have made many changes and improvements. We think our customers will be delighted when they visit us. They really won’t recognise it.”
Four Square Huntly has served barista-made coffee, hot food like chicken and chips, freshly baked goods from its new kitchen facilities, and a wide range of groceries, fresh meat, and produce. It even has a Lotto kiosk.
Patel said they have spent the last two years getting to know the community as both business owners and residents, and the range of goods they stock has reflected what they know locals want to shop for.
Becoming part of the Four Square family has been a dream come true, and an honour to open a new store during the brand's 100th anniversary.
“We’ve been working towards this since we opened our first store over eight years ago, so we are both very excited and quite nervous. Our family has flown over from India to support us, making it even more special to start our Four Square journey with them by our sides.”
The state-of-the-art store design is the latest generation of the Four Square format, which has been rolled out nationwide. The store has also been designed with safety in mind, with storefront bollards, fog cannons, security cameras, and anti-theft tobacco cabinets.
Greg Stone, Head of Four Square at Foodstuffs North Island, said it was great to be back in Huntly. He was delighted for the Patels, who have poured so much love into the store.
“Four Square Huntly reflects everything so special about Four Square. All our stores are individually owned and operated by local families, and you can feel the love and hard work poured into every detail of this store,” said Stone.
“I’m confident that the Patels and Four Square Huntly will become integral to the local community for many years.”
Four Square Huntly is Foodstuffs North Island’s second new store to open in 2024. The co-op is investing around $100 million in yearly property upgrades.
A new New World, Havelock North, opened in July, and two further New Worlds are in the pipeline, with Auckland’s Mount Albert due to reopen in October and Pāpāmoa’s ‘The Sands’ in November.
