SUCCESS TASTES GOOD

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

Sahib Singh Rana received the Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year award from the president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Rocco Rossi.

Asked if there was a passing thought about the “immigrant” part, he smiles.

“The category doesn’t matter when I know I am 100 per cent Canadian in my heart,” he says. “I’ve been in Canada for over 30 years.”

The award was a validation of Rana’s entrepreneurial spirit that saw him overcome challenges and establish a growing chain of restaurants.

Rana shares the story of how he came to be the cofounder of the Lazeez Shawarma Middle Eastern & Mediterranean food chain based in the GTA.

His journey in Canada began in 1989 when he came from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh in India.

Drawn by the country’s policy of multiculturalism, he didn’t let an initial period of struggle get him down. Not even when someone he approached for a job asked him to lose his turban first.

He worked two full-time jobs at a time to help pay his bills. “I had come out as a fresh graduate, wanting to make my life here. I wanted to succeed.”

One of his employers gave him a raise so he was able to quit his night-job as a security guard.

Rana had his heart set on joining the OPP. He passed the written, aptitude and physical tests with flying colours, but because of an issue with his vision, he was offered a desk job.

Which he turned down – “I wanted to be a cop in a cruiser!” – and got into real estate, expanding into commercial sales.

He started a hotel called Admiral Inn in Niagara Falls. Post 9/11 when travelling to and from Canada became challenging, he sold his stake in this hotel and other businesses and moved to the US where he foresaw a huge investment opportunity. There he established a chain of five Shell gas stations, two liquor stores, and a full-scope retail plaza. However, regardless of the economic prosperity, his heart was in Canada and he moved back in 2012.

“I am often asked, why shawarma and not, say, chhole-bhature, which would appear to be a better fit?” he says. “I tell them that though you might find a dhaba even if you were to travel to the moon, I don’t go looking for dhabas everywhere I go! And that I knew nothing about running a restaurant, I was in real estate.  I got into it when a friend approached me to help someone who wanted to open a restaurant – financial institutions don’t lend easily to mom-and-pop enterprises.”

Rana offered his prospective client two options. He could lend the money – with interest and a cross collateral – or he could come in as a partner for a limited period. If the business succeeded, they could buy him out, if it didn’t, they would both share the loss.

The client took the second option and Rana partnered with Nada Nasri to open his first location in 2013. Without any help from external sources.

Rana invested $120,000 and the original team consisted of Rana and Nasri. “She was on the food side, I was on the business side, and we employed 10 to 15 people.”

Nasri suggested that they continue to do business. “Brother, we started together, why not stay together?” she asked.

In 2015, they opened the next location and the first franchise in 2017. Since then, they’ve averaged ten new locations a year.

“I don’t walk, I run!” says Rana with a laugh.

“I am also self-taught. I didn’t go to business school to learn how to run a business, I went to YouTube university!”

The success could be attributed to their secret sauce.

Nasri is from the Middle East and has intimate knowledge of the cuisine, but both she and Rana were clear in their vision of this being a Canadian chain that would draw people from all across the spectrum, it had to be a taste that would appeal to all Canadians.

But the real recipe for success, says Rana, is all the effort they put in. “There’s no alternative to hard work.”

The hectic pace, which included attending to 300 to 400 calls a day took its toll and he suffered a brain haemorrhage three years ago.

“I had to learn how to walk again, how to talk, numbers, the alphabet... Anyone can sign their name with their eyes closed, I couldn’t even do that,” he says. “I had to start again from zero.”

He thanks the Canadian health-care system for his full recovery.

Now he filters his calls, does yoga every day, and has learned to manage stress.

The franchise is growing from strength to strength and is now a “multimillion dollar” business with 42 locations.

“What give me immense satisfaction is the fact that over 500 people make their living as part of the family,” says Rana.

They navigated the pandemic-related challenges which were brutal for the hospitality industry well. While others were wondering if they’d survive or go belly-up, they opened new locations.

“Our thinking is that if my franchisee needs help, we are there. We treat everyone like members of a large family and stand by each other. The parent company is in good financial standing and ready to help. Banks are also good to Lazeez now – our franchisees get a royal treatment at banks!

“My belief is that as long as we’re doing the right things, we don’t have to run after money, that money will follow. In wanting our franchisees to be successful, we found success. It’s a simple philosophy.”

 Rana is looking at closing the year with 50 locations in the GTA and Ontario.

“After that, rest of Canada, here we come!”

As a philanthropic corporation, Lazeez supports initiatives like Refugee Girls Worldwide, Canada Day Free Flag For All and Veterans Canada.

Rana recalls all the flags he saw in a small town in the US. Each home was flying the American flag with pride.

Back home in Canada, he noticed that while people had Italian or Portuguese or Spanish flags attached to their vehicles to show their support for their home teams in a soccer match, not many were flying the Canadian flag. Encouraged by his father to do something about it, he gave away 2000 flags that year.

And every year since.

“No purchase necessary, all one has to do is be a proud Canadian,” says Rana.

“Come in to one of our locations, say ‘Happy Canada Day!’ and collect your flag. We partner with Veterans Canada, and they come in their uniform and help hand out the flags.”

He has also served on the Mosaic Festival and says it’s a great platform to showcase talent from the countries we come from alongside local Canadian talent.

His wife Mona is actively involved in the family enterprise.

Their daughter Mansa had wanted to be a dentist but changed her mind after visiting eye camps while in India.

Rana, who was serving as the vice president of Community Services for Canadian Eyesight Global, had asked her to go see how people benefited from the charity’s work.

“I get emotional recalling our conversation,” he says.

“I’d told her the person who cuts the big fat cheque is the one doing the most charity and she could do that by becoming a rich dentist. My daughter said she wanted to help with her own hands.”

He supported her decision to switch her focus, telling her that it was a choice between losing a year or spending a lifetime in a field she had no passion for.

Their younger daughter Anmol is studying law in dual jurisdictions in Windsor and Michigan.

The family likes to travel the world and experience different cultures. But they always return to Canada with a renewed sense of how fortunate they are to be here.

He tells newcomers that giving up is not an option, illustrating his point with a personal example.

“After my stroke, I could have held on to my walker, but I refused to do that. I’ll give you another example.

“When someone lifts 40- pound weights at the gym, they push to lift 50 pounds.

“Coming as an immigrant is like lifting the 40-pound weight. You’ve already done that.

“Now push yourself to reach the next level, lift 50 pounds.

“Concentrate on the positives. There are tons of online resources. If you’re looking for help, you’ll find it. Take all the help you need, ask for help, people are ready and willing to help.

“And as an entrepreneur, be allergic to logic.

“Sometimes when everyone is giving you every reason why you will not succeed your gut is telling you otherwise, trust your gut.”

Sahib Singh Rana finds seeing the Lazeez family growing and succeeding very rewarding.

“There are so many people who put their dreams on hold while struggling to make ends meet. They work so hard, and think maybe one day... but lack the money and the resources to make their dreams come true.

“If I can help make that possible for someone, help them become happy, successful, proud Canadians, I’m happy.”

• Grant’s is proud to present this series about people who are making a difference in the community. Represented by PMA Canada (www.pmacanada.com).