File: TTInterview03052015
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[Music]

Q: Thank you Muhammad for joining us

today.

So, first off we wanted to congratulate

you on the success of Paramount. So

you're growing

beyond Ontario's borders into Canada

and also outside of Canada into Florida,

and Dubai. So congratulations.

A: Thank you very much and thank you very

much for having me. Q: So we're gonna....

I want to start off way back almost 10

years back in 2006.

When you bought paramount it was in a

financially,

a really bad situation and you decided

to buy it.

So can you tell us why you decided to

buy such a restaurant?

A: Well I mean to be honest about the

fact of deciding to buy it. It happened,

I was visiting paramount to buy some

baklava and I was asked to help them

with the way they are structured because

they were almost bankrupted

and then I realized that helping them

for a short term is not going to work

out and I asked them if they'd like to

do some long-term solution and they

were not ready because financially they

were not able to so. Basically it was a

nine days decision see that I'll take

it over or they will shut down.

And I did a very small

but deep study into the market and

I found that that niche market

and the type of food and the health

part of the food that will bring to the

table. It wasn't

entertained yet or wasn't organized yet

properly within the

Canadian market so I thought that would

be a great opportunity

to take that niche market, that concept

and

the concept of halal in general.

Basically developing halal, not Paramount

itself

and take it to the next level where

consumer will see

that market organized presented with a

high decor, better quality and

procedures standards and consistent

product into the market. And I thought I

saw the opportunity and at the same time

I saw the aspect of the

staff. I always say in business

you're only as good as your team

and without your team you wouldn't

become where you are.

In anything in business, people they

misunderstand the concept of

assets. Your most important asset, I

believe, my most important asset, at least

is my team.

I wouldn't be sitting here today in

front of you if I didn't have a great

team

attending to all my locations and my

head office and

my food factories and everything that we

do today. So

that was the decision of taking a niche

market that everybody used to take as a

moms and pops shawarma place,

to a real company. Put a real structure

organized from the people to the food,

to the way we presented, to the actual

whole the way the group

presents itself and there was a lot of

work in a lot of direction.

And the decision was made in 2006, yet

the company officially incorporated

2007.

And you know what I start by cleaning up

tables because I needed to understand

what's happening, what are the mistakes

that are happening,

and what can we change really.  And if

unless you feel it and

first hand you're there with them. You

won't understand you can make

just decision that won't work right and

that's what we did.

We started in 2007 with one location

and then the second one which is was a

mess for us.

I always say if you can't repeat

it, it's not a business it's a hobby.

So it was a hobby because apparently I

couldn't repeat it the second time.

Then I brought a lot of people, that

which is another thing an entrepreneur,

always should believe that

to understand what you don't know.

And admit what you don't know

because once you know what you don't

know you go hire people

that knows what you don't know and now

you find out.

Q: So speaking, because it sounds like

you're really expanding and that is the

reality. So now that you're going to go

into places like Florida and Dubai which

is outside the

Canadian market, which is what you, you've

understood throughout the years.

Is your brand going to change either

when you get to Dubai or Florida to

adapt to that

environment. A: Well I think we will find

the environment

to surround our brand to keep it and

maintain it. We're not changing our brand.

What we were, what we are successful at

again. It's very important in business to

understand

what made you successful and never

forget that part

and there is a lot of brand out there.

There is actually more brand out there

that lost

their touch when they're, when they're

growing than the one that didn't.

So we want to make sure that we don't

lose that touch so by understanding and

acknowledging what made us successful

and maintain it across the border in the

US.

or in Dubai. We're entertaining a deal on

the table today

in Pakistan. There is somebody who

wants to take Paramount to Pakistan

and grow it in that part of the world. We

want to make sure

that what we've done in Canada, is if

it's good enough for the Canadian market

and we think it is.

It should be good, to the standard of

even Middle East.

Pakistan and the US. Q:  I have one last

question because we only have 10 seconds.

So you're it's almost been 10 years, so

now can you just give me a quick glimpse

as to what the next 10 years look like

for you or your brands? A:  Well it'll be

developing more brands of halal like a

fresh eats another

fast casual dining restaurant with subs,

halal subs, and we're going to go after a

lot of more brands to develop and to

keep our team

and myself excited and the

consumer that

follows Paramount excited about the

brand now bringing into the table.

Alrigh,t thank you so much Mohamed for

joining us and

all the best in your future plans.

you