Franchisee Spotlight: Nizar Khimani, Houston, TX

Nizar Khimani, 34 years old, has lived in a few states such as New York, Texas, Florida and Georgia and went to the University of Georgia receiving a double major in finance and IT systems.  He started out working in consulting and IT, then in the hotel industry for six years before it became clear to him that what he wanted to do most was own his own business. Nizar’s brother-in-law, who is his current business partner, established some strong research in franchising. Noticing the industry was on the rise, the duo focused their attention on frozen yogurt brands. Nizar went into business with TCBY because of their strong national presence. His uncle also operates a TCBY in Dallas. When Nizar decided to support the TCBY footprint in Texas, he wanted to make a fresh start with his own store. Nizar has been operating the store since the beginning of February 2013 in a popular neighborhood of Houston. The store has been open since October 2011.

How did you learn about the brand?

I always knew the self-serve industry was my thing from my family ties.  It particularly seemed like a good fit because it is an established brand and I knew the frozen yogurt industry was on the rise.

Why did you choose an opportunity with TCBY?

I believe TCBY offers the best product available for the industry. The taste of the product and its historical reputation strongly appeal to me. The previous owners were active, but I felt I could contribute more and be more hands-on reaching out to the community.

Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business?

We are just getting going, but we did give out gift cards about three weeks ago to the community. Our goal is to get more involved especially with so many community focal points around us, such as schools and hospitals.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?

I come from a line of entrepreneurs with my grandfather and dad in franchising; it’s almost in my blood. I was working in the corporate arena and at some point knew I’d branch out on my own. My dad had a deli and gas station growing up and I would help him at the stores. It was more about making the decision to go into it and build something for myself.

Do you have any superstar employees? What is their story?

We’ve been lucky enough to be able to keep the previous staff in place. They have done a great job with the transition and I know we can really take this business to the next level.

What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with TCBY?

We’re going to see how the spring and summer goes, and then look at possibly opening one or two additional stores.