My Journey from Culinary Operations to Restaurant Creations
Introduction
Hello! I’m Frank Neimroozi, a veteran in the food service sector with a fervent love for the food industry, complemented by a staunch dedication to perfection in construction. My career began in South Florida, delivering pizzas for Domino’s in 1981 at the age of 20, a side gig while I attended college. From that humble start I eventually saw myself climbing the ranks, taking on leadership positions across fast-food, fast-casual, and upscale dining in some of the fortune 400 companies, over the years. This journey has significantly influenced my current role and shaped my perspective in how I approach every project I am involved with.
Moreover, my path has taken me through being responsible for the construction and launch of over 600 eateries in my tenure in the restaurant business, and subsequently with my partner, as a builder. Now, as a General Contractor, my goal is to mentor and navigate restaurant owners and executives through every phase of their projects, delivering the kind of top-tier service synonymous with high-end dining experiences.
Chapter 1: A Rising Star in the Restaurant Industry
I began my journey in the restaurant industry at Domino’s, where I discovered my fierce competitive streak, continuously setting records for the most deliveries in one shift and zealously defending it. This carried on in multiple stores in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida market over a span of three years until I succumbed to my manager’s persistent requests to join the Manager-in-Training (MIT) program, which was the stepping stone into propelling me up the corporate ladder over the next 24 years. In that time, I worked for some of the top leading brands in the food service space, holding key positions between 1984-2008 from store manager to district & regional manager and ultimately assuming the role of Director of Operations with two different companies, always striving towards greatness and accumulating many awards for high performance along the way.
Chapter 2: A Unique Blend of Culinary and Construction Expertise
What sets me apart is my extensive experience in both restaurant operations and hands-on-in-the-trenches construction industry. In those years, I not only supervised construction projects, building new stores as well as remodeling others, my main responsibility included reopening the restaurants, often setting sales records as much as 480% YoY figures before shut down, and in new restaurants, opening with twice the revenues than neighboring same brand locations. This hands-on experience provided me with invaluable insights into the intricate connection between restaurant design, efficient kitchen layout, and seamless construction execution from navigating pre-construction red tape bureaucracy to post construction project delivery to the restaurant’s opening crew, sometimes handling some of the most challenging issues involving upgrading utilities to the space, grease interceptor space restriction difficulties, discrepancies with the plans that somehow made it through plan-check, to dealing with city and county inspectors in one of the most strictly run municipalities (City of LA), in all 50 states.
Chapter 3: Filling the Void as a General Contractor
In 2009, I embarked on a new venture, joining forces with a friend to help him run his construction company in Southern California. Over two years later, I found myself drawn to the prospect of establishing my own company, leveraging my wealth of knowledge from the food business and construction field. In June 2011, my vision materialized as I founded econstruct.
Chapter 4: A Comprehensive Skill Set
With almost three decades of experience working in every conceivable position within the restaurants I managed, I possessed an unparalleled skill set into every aspect of restaurant operations with menus that included serving hamburgers to pizzas to burritos to bagels, and everything in between. From setting up kitchens to designing bartender-friendly bars to maximizing wet/dry storage spaces and understanding the pros and cons of various kitchen equipment brands, my expertise spans every aspect of the restaurant business.
Chapter 5: The Motivation Behind Becoming a General Contractor
My decision to become a General Contractor was driven primarily by the frustrations I experienced when I was on the other side of the table managing contractors and maneuvering the arduous and perplexing city and county permit requirements, and by a burning desire to make a positive impact on the industry by helping others see their project come to fruition. My mission is clear – to consult, teach, guide restaurant owners through the complex design, plan check, and then execute the construction phase with steadfast and unflinching pursuit. I aim to bridge the gap between restaurant owners’ aspirations and vision, to the practical execution of construction, as seamlessly and realistically as possible.
Chapter 6: Navigating Challenges in the Industry
Throughout my career, I have witnessed numerous restaurant projects encounter challenges, delays, and organizational issues. On a couple of projects, I even came across some struggle to open for more than a year due to mismanagement, incompetence, and lack of expertise, until we were appointed to get involved. This inspired me to commit myself to helping restaurant owners avoid these pitfalls at all costs, and achieve their objectives.
Chapter 7: A Frustration with the Lack of Integrity
One of my greatest frustrations lies in the lack of integrity I have observed within my industry. I have encountered so-called professionals ill-equipped to handle projects from maneuvering the city plan check maze to completely hands off approach and cavalier attitude towards the processes, as they claim “that’s not my responsibility” and often it may not be due to stakeholders’ responsibility metrics. This has only strengthened my resolve to continue to pursue restaurant professionals and restaurant owners and provide them with reliable, unfaltering and committed support and guidance.
Chapter 8: A Vision for a Better Industry
My goal is to propel the restaurant industry forward with the expertise of seasoned construction specialists I have assembled over the years. By offering candid guidance, regular blog updates, and actively seeking individuals eager to benefit from my insights, I’m committed to elevating the industry. I’m dedicated to assisting as many restaurant proprietors and stakeholders as possible in efficiently finishing their projects in the quickest time frame.
Conclusion
My journey from humble beginnings in to the restaurant business to now many years later having operated & built hundreds of restaurants for some of the leading food service brands is a testament to my unwavering passion, dedication, and knowledge.
As I strive to share my knowledge and experiences, I remain committed and focused to empowering others and fostering a more reliable, transparent, and systematic journey into restaurant construction endeavors.