While reflecting again on my time at the recent Edible Arrangements convention I was overwhelmed when thinking of all our amazing franchisee partners and the relentless passion and hard work they put into their businesses every single day. That’s why I was so honored for the opportunity to recognize some of these great partners during our award ceremonies with Edible Arrangements President Rob Price.
It is always a very hard decision to name award winners when there are so many great candidates in each category, but here is a look at those who were honored this year:
Franchisee of the Year was Tariq Ahmed of Dallas. Tariq has six stores and is a true leader within the Edible Arrangements system, always maintaining a positive attitude and displaying a mission to WOW customers. The result is continued positive sales growth. He is a great business owner and we are proud to have him as a part of the Edible Arrangements team.
Weeda Ulomi, a four-store owner from Brooklyn, New York, was selected as Rookie of the Year winner for having a consistently positive attitude, high standards of customer service and serving as a model of aggressive marketing.
Ibrahim and Hashim Choudhry of Irvine, California, were recognized with the Chairman’s Award for the outstanding performance of their nine stores and for delivering on the Edible Arrangements goal to service everyone, every day, everywhere. Ibrahim and Hashim are very deserving recipients as they are consistently top performers, offering superior customer service and executing operational excellence.
We also recognized top franchisees with awards for categories ranging from marketing to guest services to sales performance and here is a look at who took home those honors:
- Customer Service Award – Mike Mabery of Roanoke, VA
- Best Multi-Unit Owner – Jennifer Palma of Naples, FL
- Delivery Ambassador Award – Shirley McCallister of Lapeer, MI
- Edible for Business All Star — Jason Barach of Huntington, NY
- Edible To Go Award – Edward & Michelle Allen of Garner, NC
- Innovator Award – Laverna Alexander of Ft. Bragg, NC
- Manager of the Year – Lindsay Richmond of Providence, RI
- Outstanding My Store Marketing – Tricia Kapustka and Natalie Sims of Gainesville, FL
- Highest Sales Under 24 Months – Usama Chaudhry of Albany, NY
- Highest Sales 24-36 Months – Robert Mignosi of Philadelphia, PA
- Highest Sales 36+ Months – Farshad Rouhani of Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Highest Sales Mother’s Day – Ibrahim Choudhry of Moreno Valley, CA
- Highest Sales Valentine’s Day – Monroe Brooks, Jr of Memphis, TN
Also presented were our signature Pineapple Star awards recognizing single-store and multi-unit operators from regions across the United States and internationally:
- Canada – Shelley & Richard Lloyd of Edmonton, AB
- Central – Ron & Cecilia Bolar of Fort Worth, TX
- Mid Atlantic – CarolAnn Hinds of Midolthian, VA
- Midwest – Claudine Moon of Roseville, MN
- Northeast – Robin Longo of Manchester, NH
- Southeast – James Echols of Charlotte, NC
- West – Thomas & Cynthia Craig of Vancouver, WA
I’ve said it many times because it’s so true, the growth and success Edible Arrangements has experienced over the years is a tremendous testament to our dedicated and passionate franchise partners. Every year I am amazed to see how our partners manage to build upon their accomplishments of the previous year and continue to excel as they pursue the American Dream.
Congratulations to everyone that was honored this year and to all our franchisees that WOW our customers, and me, every day.
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