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California Fresh Food Franchise to expand into Middle East

Guest post by: Dhawal Shah

Article Overview: Santa Maria-based California Fresh sandwich and smoothie shop soon plans to open up to 10 stores in the Middle East Gulf Coast region, the company’s owner said this month. Chad Jordan, 34, who studied business at Westmont College, started California Fresh six years ago

California Fresh Food Franchise to expand into Middle East

“We weren’t sure if it was real or what,” Jordan said, referring to when he was first contacted about opening a shop in the Middle East. He said his company’s marketing firm, 101 Marketing, also based in Santa Maria, had been looking into selling franchises across the United States, but the foreign deal was somewhat of a surprise.

California Fresh opened its first franchise last year in Templeton, USA, Jordan said. The company soon will open stores in Doha, oil-rich Qatar’s capital city, Jordan said. The new California Fresh will be in the heart of the business center of Doha in one of the new high-rise office buildings, he said.

As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues enabled Qatar to attain the second-highest per capita income in the world with a gross domestic product of more than $101 billion. The mostly Muslim nation has a population of 833,285 and total area of 11,586 square kilometers. Qatar is a peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf.

“The deal is the first of a 10-store project by Wall Street Café for placing California Fresh in the Gulf Coast Community, of GCC, of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait,” Jordan said. Wall Street Café is the London-based umbrella organization that is bringing California Fresh to the Middle East, he said.

“They were looking for either a New York or California-style deli concept,” Jordan said. He said Wall Street Café also plans to bring pizza shop and taco stand chains to the Middle East. California Fresh serves delicatessen-style sandwiches, salads and soups, along with juice bar-style fruit smoothies. “We will have to adjust our menu to add local flavors to the smoothies,” Mr. Jordan said.

Jordan said his success secret lies in his company’s ability to provide the freshest meat and produce to make the items on his menu. His company has been recognized as a top business by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Inspired to run his own business, Jordan said his education and the confidence it gave him have helped his success.His training at Westmont added to his ability to adapt to the changing market in the wake of the recession that struck just a few years after he started his enterprise, Jordan said. “We had a great deal of entrepreneurial training at Westmont,” he said.

After he kept his enterprise going as the recession eased, rather than shrink Mr. Jordan said he saw a new opportunity. “We knew people would be looking for jobs,” he said. “So, we decided to open a franchise.”

Now, California Fresh has gone international.

“We believe that the California Fresh concept will resonate well with the residents of the GCC,” said Damian Riviez, general manager of the Middle East expansion of Wall Street Café. “Our communities identify with the Southern California lifestyle and will welcome the offerings of creative fresh fruit smoothies, fresh salads and deli sandwiches all -- under one roof.”

Off late, several international food franchisors have expanded in

About California Fresh

California Fresh was established in 2004 providing sandwiches, smoothies, salads, and soups ever since. It currently has less than ten locations, however it is franchising internationally and is looking for additional locations.

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Article Tags: California Fresh Food Franchise, Chad Jordan, Damian Riviez, Food Franchise, Franchise Middle East, Franchise Opportunity



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