How the Azarnia brothers were able to fulfill their lifelong dream

The term “franchise” refers to several different business models, including franchise, dealers, and buying groups. There are 3 parties in a franchise:

1. The franchisor is the overall corporate entity that owns the system
2. The master franchisee is the district leader for a franchisor in a specified territory
3. The franchisee is the individual owner and operator of the location

Franchises are a common investment option for people who are looking to own a business without having to start from scratch. These investors, or franchisees, use a brand’s existing infrastructure and trademark at a fee.

While there are different types of franchising, the most common option is the Business Format Franchising. In this model, the franchisee receives help from the parent company, in terms of where to set up their business, getting staff members trained, how to upload the brands existing image, support on how to run the business smoothly, and more.

Franchising opportunities depend on the business. For example, each company has different guidelines around the minimum investment, net worth and liquid cash amounts needed to start a franchise.

The application process may also vary from one franchisor to the next. Some applications are more in-depth and take longer to qualify for than others. It’s important for investors to do their homework before starting a franchise.

• Do you have a Master Franchise Agreement in place with all of your franchisees?
• Whose name is on the head lease of each location? Franchisor or franchisee?
• How do you select suitable franchisees? What are you looking for as an initial investment?
• How many locations have you closed (length of time specific to franchisor time in business)? Why did they close? How did you deal with any lenders involved in the location?
• Do you have a support team that monitors the franchisees and is available to provide assistance if a location is struggling?
• How do you support the local franchisees in marketing? What is their responsibility?

One of the most important lessons of being an entrepreneur is understanding that resilience, patience and hard work is key.

“Working towards your goals is a lot of work,” share Houman and Ash. “But we were determined to do it. From the moment we got up until we went back to bed, it’s all we thought about. We would not stop until we reached our goal.”

The brothers went on to explain that the CIBC team showed up for them in a big way to help them secure financing. And what made the biggest impact was that Ricky Ly, their CIBC Advisor, was always present to take care of them.

Houman and Ash highlighted that “Every bank says they are client-centred, but CIBC supersedes that by far and the service has been top- notch. Back then, Ricky Ly and the team only knew us as healthcare workers with a dream. Despite the fact that we had a long-term relationship with another bank, it was CIBC who came through for us”

“Houman and Ash’s story is inspiring, and I’m beyond excited to do my part to support their ambitions to make a difference in the community,” shares Ly.

Meanwhile, Houman and Ash revealed that with the help of financial advisor, Justin Black, they moved all of their mortgages to CIBC.

“We felt we could trust CIBC and they were very professional,” they added.

“CIBC gave us the best possible rate and took care of the fees,” says Houman. “The advisors we worked with, like Ricky and Justin, were very upfront and there were no hidden agendas. We really appreciated that.”

Houman and Ash are focused on giving back to their community, because they believe in helping the hand that helps you.

“We personally drop off donuts and coffee as much as we can to local businesses,” the Azarnia’s share. For them, it’s about being engaged in the communities they have stores in.

“Our number one priority has always been to take care of our employees. Typically, employees only get 15% off their meals. All our employees get 50% off,” says Houman and Ash.

Moving forward, the brothers have plans to dedicate one of the walls of their restaurants in Quesnel to the local heroes and capture key aspects of the community.

“We want to highlight frontline workers, police officers and firefighters. We’re also in the process of meeting with the four Indigenous band members, which is huge. They're a key part of Quesnel’s history and we want their blessing going forward.”

In addition, Houman and Ash are ambitiously working to set up a scholarship foundation for kids in the area.

"We didn't come from a rich family. We worked very hard to get where we are now, so we want to help young people get ahead, too.”

As for the infamous coffee maker that kept Houman and Ash focused on their dreams along the way, it will be placed on display at one of their restaurants.