Mustard Café® Franchisee Profiles
If you've visited the Franchisee Qualifications page on this site, you know that becoming a Mustard Café franchisee isn't easy. To learn more about what it takes to achieve success as owner of a Mustard Café franchise, you can read about the experiences and backgrounds of our current franchisees below.
Abdullah Bijanzadeh
With two locations and counting, Abdullah Bijanzadeh currently ranks first in revenues among Mustard Café franchisees. Having spent 25 years with Jack in the Box, Abdul also has the most experience in restaurant operations. Of that quarter-century at Jack in the Box, 16 years were devoted to his duties as Area Manager, with responsibility for more than 10 units.
According to Abdul, the most important qualification for a Mustard Café franchisee is knowing the business. He was attracted to Mustard as a business for the same reasons that many of our prospective franchisees are. Mustard Franchise Corporation capitalizes on a hot new dining concept which emphasizes very high-quality ingredients, all of which adds up to a rapidly growing opportunity with explosive potential.
Abdul is planning to expand his activities across Southern California in the years to come, and his goal is to eventually own seven or eight Mustard Café restaurants.
Abdul's Locations
Irvine |
Newport Coast |
5663 Alton Parkway |
21137 Newport Coast Dr. |
Shiva Saebi and RC Turkzadeh
Shiva Saebi started out the way a lot of franchisees do – looking around for a business opportunity, but finding it difficult to find just the right situation. With a love for fine foods, and a background working in an Italian restaurant, Shiva knew she wanted a restaurant business; but after months of analyzing and comparing franchisers, Shiva was very disappointed by the opportunities available.
Shiva hails from Germany, her husband from Italy, so she wanted a menu and ambiance that would be reminiscent of the great cafes that are ubiquitous throughout Europe. Discouragingly, the franchises she investigated were all alike -- the same kind of boring food you can get anywhere, served in the same kind of lackluster atmosphere. Then an uncle's tip led her to Mustard.
Here at Mustard Café restaurants Shiva and her husband found the kind of gourmet deli food they had been craving – the finest Italian espresso and artisan breads, ingredients of uncompromising quality, and a full spectrum of European-style food and beverage choices, ranging from Italian panini sandwiches to French champagne. Even the fixtures and décor were reminiscent of the European café experience.
Shiva and her husband decided it was time to invest. Shiva bought a share of the Newport Coast location, which she co-owns with Abdullah Bijanzadeh. Business has been brisk from the outset, and Shiva has never looked back.
RC Turkzadeh
RC Turkzadeh was born into a family of restaurateurs, including an uncle who owns several of the most highly regarded eateries in the Washington, DC area. From a very early age, he was in a position to view restaurant operations first hand, observe what works and what doesn't, and develop the rudiments of the customer-centric philosophy he still practices today.
Since his first successful business venture, a childhood lemonade stand, RC has displayed a considerable zeal for all things entrepreneurial, as well as a flair for keeping a business moving forward. "Being a Mustard CaféR restaurant franchisee requires a ton of tenacity and drive, so this opportunity was tailor-made for someone like me."
Like many franchisees, RC found the decision to sign on with Mustard Franchise Corporation an easy one to make. "The Mustard dining concept focuses on quality," says RC. "From the first time I ate there, the food spoke for itself, and the value was just as remarkable. Served on a plate over a linen tablecloth, a meal from Mustard could be sold for much more than the bargain prices our customers pay. I like to describe our menu as Fifth Avenue quality at workingman's prices."
Shiva and RC's Location
Newport Coast |
21137 Newport Coast Dr. |
Kassidy and Mo Jung
These days, new fast-food and fast-casual eateries seem to be popping up on every streetcorner. That being the case, it's not that difficult to find a place that will sell you a sandwich: but with so many franchises sacrificing quality to cut costs, the real challenge is finding a truly tasty sandwich, a sandwich that remains highly memorable long after it has been consumed.
"To us, the most brilliant part of the Mustard CaféTM restaurant dining concept is its specialization," say franchisees Kassidy and Moses Jung. "Mustard Café focuses on doing one thing, and doing it better than anyplace else. Mustard Franchise Corporation didn't make the common mistake of trying to offer every kind of meal under the sun, from burgers and Buffalo wings to pizza and pasta. We strive to be the best at only one thing, making and serving Mustard Café's signature sandwiches and salads. That's the secret of our success."
Both Kassidy and Moses Jung had experience owning and operating small businesses, and Moses's background includes five years of successful restaurant operation. The husband-wife team also has extensive experience in the corporate world, holding positions in engineering and finance. They know what it takes to open a business and make it profitable.
In the final analysis, say the Jungs, restaurant operation is not about proficiency in bean-counting. It's about providing a unique dining experience that customers will want to repeat over and over again.
"We began this journey like many of our fellow franchisees. One day, we found ourselves craving a great sandwich, and wandered into a Mustard Café restaurant to try it out," recalls Kassidy Jung. "We enjoyed our dining experience so much, we knew we wanted to share that experience with others."
Kassidy and Mo's Location
Mission Viejo |
24000 Alicia Parkway Blvd, Unit #22/23 |
Banafsheh and Dr. Kamarei, San Diego Area Directors
Bio coming soon
Banafsheh and Dr. Kamarei's Location
San Diego |
Coming soon! |
Ellie Arvand
It would be fair to say that Ellie Arvand has the delicatessen business in her blood. Ellie grew up in New Jersey, where her parents owned and operated multiple bagel/deli shops.
From an early age, Ellie learned the tremendous value that great customer service can bring to a business. "My father and mother taught me that when you care for customers like family, they will want to come back over and over again."
After college, Ellie pursued her career as a dental hygienist in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. For the past eight years, because of her commitment to service and quality of care, this mother of two has been sought after by her loyal patients.
As the owner/operator of a Mustard CaféR franchise, Ellie is committed to making her restaurant fun and comfortable for customers and employees alike. She has an eye for the little things, a strong attention to the many details she must successfully manage to keep her store at the highest levels of quality, and a penchant for customer service.
"I enjoy giving back to the community, and getting involved when others need help," says Ellie Arvand. "Operating a Mustard CaféR restaurant in my community provides a great opportunity to do both."
Ellie's Location
Foothill Ranch |
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41 Auto Centre Drive, Suite 103 |
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Nick and Debby Martin
As Mustard Franchise Corporation continues to expand outward from its Southern California base, Nick and Debby Martin have opened the first Mustard CaféR restaurant in the booming San Jose metropolitan area.
Nick and Debby bring varied business and managerial backgrounds and skills to their franchise location. For companies in industries ranging from high-tech and public relations to real estate, Debby has served as a highly effective manager, coach and motivator for teams of administrative and executive employees, and worked very closely with senior management to fulfill corporate objectives. This is the kind of job experience that translates perfectly to the task of managing a bustling Mustard restaurant environment.
Nick Martin is an expert of many trades, and is certainly the only Mustard franchisee that holds certifications both as an ASE Master Technician and as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Throughout his distinguished 20-year business career, primarily in the automotive field, Nick has excelled at leadership and management tasks, as well as devising and implementing effective cost-containment strategies.
Ever the engineer, when it came time to find the best restaurant franchise opportunity available, Nick naturally took the technical, analytical approach. His home turf, Santa Clara County, was well-saturated with fast food and full-service restaurants, but underserved by fast-casual restaurants—particularly gourmet sandwich establishments. To narrow down his options, he visited numerous restaurants and corporate offices for the leading franchisors in the gourmet sandwich category. “After my extended research into these franchise opportunities, Mustard emerged as the obvious choice,” says Nick. “The deciding factor for me was the glowing feedback I received from other franchisees, as well as the positive feelings I developed while interacting with the management team at Mustard. I feel confident that our partnership with Mustard Franchise Corporation will be a success for everyone involved.”
Nick and Debby's Location
San Jose |
975-#80 The Alameda |