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 wasn't available in his native Iran. His American dream began in the early '80s, twenty-four years ago; 19-year-old-Atour Eyvazian fled war-torn Iran through the rugged mountains along the Turkish border. Pursued by Iran's revolutionary Guard, he climbed 20 hours each day, digging under the snow for anything green to fill his empty stomach, catching a few hours of sleep each night with his feet wedged in among the rocks so he would not fall down the steep mountains. The guides he had paid robbed him of everything they could find when they reached the border. Less than an hour later, Atour was arrested by the Turkish police and thrown in jail. He had lost 40 pounds on his trek through the mountain wilderness. Atour was able to escape only by bribing a guard with $200 American dollars that his mother had sewn in under the belt loops of his Levi's 501 jeans.

Atour eventually made it to the United States, where a cousin took him in and suggested he take a job at a Jack in the Box. Atour applied for a job the next day. He was soon working as a janitor for minimum wage-walking two hours to and from work each day-and he was exultant. "I felt like I'd entered the promised land," he says.

Atour couldn't read or speak English. He learned how to ask "What is this in English?" and then carried around a pocket pad and a golf pencil, writing 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, Atour continued his career as a specialist in guest service systems, evaluating Jack in the Box restaurants on quality, food safety and cleanliness. Soon, he was promoted to supervisor and in 1994 became a trainer in guest service systems, a position he held for seven years.

Despite a full-time job and a child on the way, Atour used the Jack in the Box tuition-reimbursement program to attend night classes at the University of Phoenix in Palmdale, Calif. In 1998, he became the first in his family to earn a bachelor's degree. In 2001, he earned a master's degree in business administration, also through the company's tuition-reimbursement program. And that year, he was promoted to manager of guest service systems, overseeing the guest service metrics for 677 Jack in the Box restaurants in several states.

Atour was able to use his savings to buy several small pieces of real estate, working weekends to fix up his properties. Then he would sell those and buy more.

With an eye toward owning and operating his own Jack in the Box restaurants, Atour 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, CA.

Atour attributes his achievement of the American dream to the opportunity afforded him by the restaurant industry and Jack in the Box in particular. So his goal is to continue the tradition by providing the same opportunity to his employees. He helps his restaurant employees find their strengths and hone them to fulfill their American dreams. He stands by his employees as a mentor and friend as well as an employer.

Beyond his restaurants, Atour helps at-risk students prepare for college and the workforce. He recently received a "School to World Award" from the Sacramento County Office of Education, which partners with area businesses to offer students valuable entry-level work experience. Atour also supports the local Neighborhood Center, where he helps single mothers and others find jobs and succeed in the workplace.

In 2007, he was invited to attend the National Restaurant Association's Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. to meet with different members of Congress.

Atour was the Jack in the Box regional franchisee of the year in 2007. Today, he owns 39 Jack in the Box restaurants.