Atour Eyvazian

Jack in the Box Franchisee since 2005
Operating: 49 restaurants
Location: Texas

Recipient of The National Restaurant Association’s First-ever American Dream Award.

The National Restaurant Association honored Atour Eyvazian, a Jack in the Box franchise operator, at its "Faces of Diversity" awards program in May 2007. As an individual from a diverse background who overcame hardship and adversity to become a successful restaurateur, Atour received the first-ever American Dream Award in recognition of his hard work and determination in realizing the American dream.

Atour Eyvazian sees the American dream as an opportunity for an ordinary person to become extraordinary — a prospect that for him began some 25 years ago when he arrived in Los Angeles and got a job as a maintenance worker at a Jack in the Box® restaurant. Today, he owns 49 Jack in the Box restaurants.

In the fall of 1984, Eyvazian fled his war-torn country of Iran, traveling on foot through mountains to Turkey, only to be captured at the border and remanded to a Turkish prison. After 40 days in captivity, Atour bought his freedom with money that his mother had sewn into his waistband. He contacted the U.S. embassy in Istanbul, which granted him entry into Los Angeles, where he reunited with his cousin and uncle.

When he arrived in Los Angeles, Eyvazian couldn’t read or speak English. But that didn’t stop him from getting a job just two weeks later as a maintenance worker at a local Jack in the Box restaurant. He learned how to ask "What is this in English?" and wrote down the English words for everything he encountered. Always arriving at work early and staying late, he took pride in cleaning the restaurant and seized every opportunity to learn something new. Soon, he was promoted to team leader, then to assistant manager, and within just two years of arriving in the U.S., he became a Jack in the Box restaurant manager.

In 1990, after several years as a restaurant manager, Eyvazian continued his career as a specialist in guest service systems. Soon, he was promoted to supervisor and in 1994 became a trainer in guest service systems. Using the Jack in the Box tuition-reimbursement program, he attended night classes to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1998 and an MBA in 2001. That year, he was promoted to manager of guest service systems.

With an eye toward owning and operating his own Jack in the Box restaurants, Eyvazian in 2005 sold the real estate he had accumulated in the past decade and became a franchisee of 10 Jack in the Box restaurants in Sacramento, Calif.

Eyvazian attributes his achievement of the American dream to the opportunity afforded him by the restaurant industry and Jack in the Box in particular. His goal is to continue the tradition by providing the same opportunity to his employees. He said he helps his restaurant employees find their strengths and hone them to fulfill their American dreams.

Adel Farag

Jack in the Box Franchisee since 1995
Operating: 22 restaurants
Location: Arizona, California

How long have you been a Jack in the Box franchisee?
I have been with the Jack in the Box system for the past 28 years and the last 14 years as a franchise operator.

How many Jack in the Box restaurants do you own?
22 restaurants.

Where are your Jack in the Box restaurants located?
I have 21 restaurants in Arizona from Bullhead City, in the northern part of the state, to Casa Grande, in southern Arizona. I also have one restaurant in Needles, California.

What attracted you to Jack in the Box?  What makes Jack in the Box an attractive business opportunity for a franchisee?
I was impressed by the stability, creativity and integrity of the senior management team at Jack in the Box. The company has a unique culture and knack for adding talented management without losing focus of the company’s core values.

What kind of franchisor is Jack in the Box Inc.?  How is the Company to work with?
The fact that I’ve spent over half of my life with Jack in the Box is a testament of the great relationship that exists between franchisee and franchisor.

What do you think the future holds for Jack in the Box?
Among the company’s core values is a focus on continuous improvement, which underscores management’s commitment to building a successful brand for all of its major stakeholders.

And what does the future hold for you?
My success as a Jack in the Box franchisee has enabled me to explore other business opportunities. In addition to my Jack in the Box restaurant operations, I also own a successful mortgage company and two other restaurant concepts, as well as a non-profit medical center.

How would you summarize your overall experience with Jack in the Box?
I would like to thank Jack in the Box for all the opportunities that allow me to be successful in so many other fields.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The history of any successful business includes good times and tough ones. Jack in the Box, over the years, has been tested many times and has persevered.

Terry Shindle

Jack in the Box Franchisee since 2006
Operating: 33 restaurants
Location: California

What attracted you to Jack in the Box?
I thought the timing was right to take advantage of the company’s strategic decision to aggressively increase the percentage of franchise ownership in the system and its willingness to sell company restaurants to help expedite a qualified franchisee’s growth. I was also impressed with the company’s ability to support its franchisees through its state-of-the-art Innovation Center, where employees are working on new products, equipment and restaurant designs to keep us ahead of the competition. And, of course, Jack in the Box is widely recognized for its high food-safety standards.

What makes Jack in the Box an attractive business opportunity for a franchisee?
Not only are there tremendous opportunities to develop restaurants in existing and new markets, but the company goes to a great lengths to protect the integrity of the Jack in the Box brand, which helps protect our investment as franchisees. For example, the interview process with prospective franchisees is extremely thorough and background qualifications are quite high.

What kind of franchisor is Jack in the Box Inc.? How is the company to work with?
Jack in the Box understands the importance of a culture that truly supports its franchisees’ success. There is a commitment from management, including at the very top of the organization, to develop a strong relationship with its franchise community through open communications. They listen to the franchisees, value our opinions, and are open to change.

What do you think the future holds for Jack in the Box?
The senior management of Jack in the Box is implementing a well-conceived strategic plan and is committed to building a success brand. Strong, experienced leadership combined with a commitment to build the brand and franchise relationships should bode well for the company and its franchisees as Jack in the Box continues to grow.

And what does the future hold for Terry Shindle?
We opened our first new construction Jack in May 2008 in Victorville. In 2009 we have opened 2 new Jack in the Box restaurants in Apple Valley, California. I was recently elected to the National Franchise Advisory Council (NFAC) to represent Southern California franchisees.