Author: Tariq Farid

In the earliest days of Edible Arrangements, before it even became an official tag line, I set out with one simple goal in mind: To WOW my customers. And that’s why to this day, I find it so gratifying to see franchisees who continue that tradition.

One such franchisee is Rory Friedland, owner of our stores in Plainview and Port Washington, New York. Witnessing he and his employees, and the energy they put into WOWing their guests, really took me back to the beginning.

In those early days, people didn’t even know who we were yet; they hadn’t come to fall in love with our product yet, as they were just hearing about it. People would ask about our company, and question our product because it was so new. It took time and dedicated customer service to win them over, and to ensure that the business would not only survive, but thrive. We guaranteed our guests we would WOW them, and offered to do whatever it took to achieve that end.

I still remember what it took to win those early guests over, and how dedicated I was to WOWing them. I see that same dedication in franchisees like Rory Friedland and his staff. They are holding true to the original mission of Edible Arrangements, which is so near and dear to my heart. And I’ve seen this in Rory right from the very start, when we first got together to open his first store. Today, he’s a multiple-unit owner, and has never lost sight of that original spark.

Rory’s hard work and dedication is commendable. And for that, I congratulate both he and his staff, and I thank them sincerely. I would also suggest that it is this very dedication to achieving that WOW that has helped make Rory the successful franchisee he is today.

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I never cease to be amazed and pleased by the passion and genuine dedication our franchisees bring to the table, and by the challenges they so cheerfully overcome. For example, taking on an existing store may seem simpler than starting up a new location from scratch—but it can often come with its own unique set of challenges. One such new franchisee who has proven up to the task of rising to the occasion is Rommel D’Souza.

A native of Dubai living in the Toronto, Ontario area since the age of 19, Rommel recently took the reigns of our Barrie, Ontario location, which has been in existence for more than half a decade. A self-described “husband, father and dreamer”, Rommel brings just the right blend of business know-how, optimism and genuine excitement that I’ve seen lead to success time and time again.

“Having been raised in a family of entrepreneurs, the spark of business ownership was ignited much earlier through my experiences in a family business,” he told us. “Since then, my pursuit of an education has built upon my life experiences, and everything that I am today, in ways that I never expected.”

Despite his upbringing, Rommel indeed was not always on the path of business ownership; in fact, he went to school to study genetics, and spent a lot of time working in a lab. However, his innate love for the retail business, and for customer service in particular, was brought back to the surface thanks to his experience working in a retail store while still attending University. Realizing how much he truly enjoyed working with people, he reconsidered his career path.

“The more I learned about myself, the more I realized I missed the energy of a retail environment,” he said.

Rommel and his wife, having just welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their lives, decided to embark on the adventure of entrepreneurship together. After careful research, they came across the unique franchising opportunity that is Edible Arrangements. And with an existing location available in their vicinity, and an exciting product they could confidently stand behind, the choice was clear:

“Edible Arrangements is a product and system that I am truly proud to be a part of, and it has given me the opportunity to challenge my skills and abilities through business ownership.”

Rommel has taken his first steps on a thrilling adventure, and I’m a little envious of what awaits him, which I’m quite familiar with as an entrepreneur and one-time small business owner myself. Yes, there are challenges ahead, but with the right attitude and the right tools, those challenges can lead to some of the most satisfying experiences a person can hope to have. As a wise man once said, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And I believe that Rommel is starting off on the right foot.

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Franchising Is a Family Affair

For the Goods, Franchising Is a Family Affair

It can truly be said that a franchise is only as successful as its franchisees. I’ve always believed that hard work and dedication pay off—in fact, I’m living proof of that. So when I see those qualities in our franchisees, it gives me great hope for the future of Edible Arrangements International.

Each franchisee has their own story, and I never get tired of hearing them—in fact, we recently launched an entire website devoted to personally profiling our excellent owners: EAFranchise.com.

We recently welcomed new franchisees to Lafayette, Indiana, with quite a heartwarming story of their own. Kathy and Jeff Good have brought their two families together, and are now putting their heads together to make their brand new franchise location the best it can possibly be.

Kathy has a background in both the food service industry and the real estate industry—two worlds that have no doubt prepared her for much of what comes with getting established as a new Edible Arrangements franchisee. Her husband Jeff comes from a strong retail background, with more than 30 years experience. Together they have the kinds of tools that budding entrepreneurs need to succeed.

But while business savvy and experience are certainly important, it takes more than that. You need a certain amount of heart and passion for the business. It takes a special kind of dedicated person. And I find that often those who bring great integrity, drive and positivity to their personal lives are the ones with the greatest chance of success.

Kathy and Jeff first met in 2002, and they married four years later. By doing do, they also joined their families together, since they both have three sons each. They’re now raising five of those six boys together, as well as caring for Kathy’s grandmother, who lives with them. Kathy and Jeff are undoubtedly two people who know a lot about responsibility, but also undoubtedly know a lot about the satisfaction and rewards that comes from living up to responsibilities.

With their two youngest boys approaching college age, Kathy and Jeff fully intend to make their business a family business, and plan to have all the boys pitch in as much as possible during college breaks. With committed parents like Kathy and Jeff leading the way, I have no doubt the boys will be happy to join in.

Kathy and Jeff Good had been hoping to open their own franchised business for the past four years. After careful research, they finally decided on Edible Arrangements, and I’m very glad they did. I wish them tremendous success in their endeavor, and hope their family work ethic will serve as an inspiration to other franchisees, both current and future.

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Deriving Inspiration from Franchisees Who Give Back

I never fail to be impressed and inspired by the interest so many of our franchisees take in their local communities. Giving back is so very important—it may sound cliché, but the reason it does is because it’s true. We talk a lot about WOWing those around us, and one of the major ways in which we do this is by getting involved. By going above and beyond to make a difference.

I recently heard from Angela Nowell of our Lewisville, Texas franchise location, who told me all about the excellent, charitable uses to which her store is putting their extra fruit. Since June 2011, they’ve been donating it to a local house of worship, the Denton Bible Church in nearby Denton, Texas. The Church features an outreach program that provides dinner once a week for prisoners’ family and friends. It just so happens that one of the store employees has a son who participates in the program, and when the employee suggested they donate their extra fruit, they began providing fruit salad on a weekly basis.

“This is something that really appealed to us, so we were more than happy to help out,” Angela explained. “The response has been extremely positive, and everyone looks forward to the fruit salad every week… It has been a favorite part of the meal, especially for the little ones.”

As if that were not enough, this very same store is also involved in another program, offering up unusable fruit (pineapple rinds, banana peels, etc.) to Huffines Middle School right in Lewisville. For about a year, the students have been using these donations as compost for their school gardens, brightening up the school grounds and learning the finer points of gardening care in the process.

“This has been a very successful venture,” said Angela, who also added, “Needless to say, we have very little trash that we need to dispose of!”

Giving back to the community, and minimizing waste at the same time–talk about a WOW! Is it any wonder I’m so personally inspired by so many of our fine franchisees?

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Walking With a Purpose

In my last entry I spoke about the Detroit area Edible Arrangements franchisees who are passionately involved with charitable causes in their communities. This is not an anomaly. So many of our franchise owners across the country and world make community involvement and support a priority. It’s who they are –who we are –and we are proud to show that Edible Cares.

I know a while ago I briefly mentioned our amazing franchisees in Massachusetts and their yearly support for a very important cause –the fight to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. However, I really want to single out one franchisee in particular who is leading the effort in Massachusetts as the disease is very personal for him. Nick D’Alleva, co-owner of three Edible Arrangements stores (Beverly, Lynn and Peabody, MA) knows personally the effects MS has on loved ones. Nick’s brother-in-law Carl, Carl’s mother Carmella and Carl’s daughter (Nick’s niece) Melissa have MS, and the entire family has been very active in raising awareness and money to find a cure for MS. In 2006, Carl’s brother Kevin created a team, The Lombardi Party, a family movement in itself, to (as their website states –http://www.lombardiparty.org/) “stop MS, restore what’s been lost, and end MS forever.”

Seeing three generations of family members stricken by this debilitating disease, Nick became extremely active in the family’s mission to create a community, and national, effort to bring people together to help the cause. Nick rallied his neighboring Massachusetts Edible Arrangements franchisees who, every March (March is MS Awareness month), donate a portion of the sales of the Orange Blossom® arrangement to the National MS Society. Last year, Nick and the Massachusetts franchisees raised $10,000. Wow!

Nick, holding $10,000 check, and Chris Dellamarggio, our very first franchisee, far right

However, Nick’s dedication to promoting awareness and volunteerism, and raising funds for MS, goes much further. One example –he hits the pavement. Last week Nick and his family, the Lombardi Party, and hundreds of others, walked 50 miles over 3 three days in Cape Cod for the MS Challenge Walk, one of ten walking event destinations held throughout the country for MS.

Nick, second from right, and family

To Nick, the Massachusetts franchisees, and all our Edible Arrangements franchisees who daily support so many charitable organizations and causes, I’m so impressed with your passionate contributions to your communities. I am confident, one franchisee at a time, one person at a time, that we and others working together can make a difference and have a tremendous, positive impact in the lives of others. Thank you for all you do!

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