MEET Peter Zhou from Cool Sushi & Noodle

Peter’s story begins in China, where after finishing his schooling, he went to university to study tourism management and then sought employment in the industry.

He married in 2013 had a son, and at age 30 his parents made the decision to relocate to Wagga Wagga, a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, with a population of approximately 57,000. 

Peter and his wife worked in the local Chinese restaurant in town which his wife’s family owned.  They both had a profound love of food, and working in the family’s business was all the experience they needed.  Peter and his wife decided they wanted to take on the challenge of opening their own sushi business and they went on to successfully open two shops in Tamworth.

Change was afoot and in 2022 Peter and his family relocated to Brisbane. They purchased a fish and chip shop, but sold it not long after as they preferred to work with sushi and began the search to look for a new location in Brisbane.

While undergoing this search, Peter received an email from a Leasing Executive from Vicinity Centres, the owner and operator of Armidale Central, that the beloved Armidale shopping centre was looking for a sushi operator to open a new store in the centre.

Finding the right location in Brisbane was proving very difficult, so Peter and his family decided the opportunity to open in Armidale Central was everything they were looking for.

When asked about the Armidale region, Peter replies, “I love to see the autumn leaves, the traffic is not like it is in Brisbane, and [I love] the easy lifestyle the town provides”.

Cool Sushi and Noodle opened on 22nd February of this year, and Peter says, “the business is doing very well, in fact it has exceeded my expectations, the people in Armidale love sushi.  Our menu is very extensive, it’s not just sushi we sell. One of our most popular dishes are dumplings and Karaage Chicken (Japanese style fried chicken).”

When asked what he loves about being a business owner in Armidale Central, Peter says, “I love the fact the centre as has both Woolworths and Kmart, a great variety of shops and everything can be done under the one roof”.

When talking to Peter and his wife, it is evident they have a passion for food. They both work 7 days a week and are thankful to Peter’s parents who are able to look after their son.

Peter is very grateful his wife has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to owning and operating your own business.  This stems from working in a number of family-owned business over many years.

We asked Peter what the future holds for him and if he would look at opening further stores within the area.  He says, “Not at this stage, we are loving the fact my wife and I can put all our attention in this one store.  It’s a favourite with the locals and the positive feedback is overwhelming”. 

Peter‘s free time is spent enjoying music and time with his son who he is teaching mathematics and Chinese.