Dubai: You know you are on to a good thing when the owner of the business next door comes in and tries to sell it off. In itself, it's a tacit acknowledgement that you are doing well in the eyes of your peers, and that too at a time when the marketplace has not been too hot either.
By that measure, Mehrnoush Zandi is on to a good thing. She operates the Hush Burger House in the French cluster of International City, having decided to go in for an opening while the recession was still on.
Just recently, she was approached by the owner of the butchery shop next door and asked whether she could buy out his property, inclusive of all the equipment.
Pertinent point
Mehrnoush smiled and told him she would be glad to take over the shop, but would stop short of buying the equipment. "What will I need it for?" she told him.
A pertinent point as the restaurant prefers to keep its identity distinctive.
"Hush is more than a concept, it is a culture," said Mehrnoush, a 33-year old from Iran who manages the niche restaurant along with her husband.
She grew up in a family that shunned additives and preservatives in their food, so it was easy to adapt the concept into the restaurant's operations.
"My husband and I transferred this concept to our business, which is to use all-natural, fresh homemade food. The concept clicked with many customers looking for a healthy alternative to fast food."
This finicky approach to running the restaurant and extending to its menu is starting to win over a lot of adherents, and who stay devoted to it. "We have a loyal base of customers," said Mehrnoush.
"When rents started falling all over Dubai, many of our customers left International City to other areas — but they still keep on coming back for the food.
"The restaurant dishes out a different menu to customers. From the burger to the steak, each culinary serving is fresh and all-natural." And cross out any trace of left-overs in the daily menu.
"Whatever is made today, [is] gone tomorrow. It's our policy not to use today's food for tomorrow. At the end of the day, if there is any food left, we give it to local charities." Is she happy with the way business has turned out? "We opened the business at the peak of the global financial crisis, but we kept our faith in doing business in Dubai," she said.
"Business is still doing well, even though a lot of our customers left International City. This has obviously affected our business, but it has not discouraged us."
For Mehrnoush, this is her first foray into the world of running a business. "It's a very challenging, yet enjoyable. I am always trying out new ideas. I believe we should allow ourselves to experience new things in life."
But banish any thought of cooking being another of Mehrnoush's passions. "It's more my husband's than mine — but this restaurant is like my baby, from conception to what it is now."
With the restaurant operating for more than a year, Mehrnoush can only look back on the highs of having her own business up and running… and successfully at that. "To be honest, I can only think of the highs, such as when we see customers enjoying the food and coming back."
And there are expansion plans on the anvil. There is a deal in the works to open a bigger branch, and which would encompass an even bigger concept along The Walk, "But let's just say that details are hush-hush for now," she said.
But if any new expansion mirrors the kind of following she and the Hush has had in International City, it's not going to remain a secret much longer.
Top 5 tips
- Start with a concept that you believe in.
- Be passionate about the business.
- Choose a professional and supportive staff who pay attention to the quality of the food and cleanliness at the workplace.
- Learn from your mistakes. Mistakes offer opportunities for you to grow.
- Running your own business can prove to be a 24-hour work ethic. Be prepared to give it your all.
