The explosion was anticipated, but as it ripped through the
night, I had to resist the urge to duck. I was in the midst of a
lavish Independence Day party thrown by
IHOP's largest franchisee, Joe Katin. Joe owns the ranch
next door to Southfork Ranch, home of the fictional Ewings, who
helped put Dallas on the map. Between bombs bursting in air, I
learned of another IHOP success story--Rima Hakim.
Hakim, a petite, 37-year-old single mother of two preteen boys,
immigrated to the United States at age 18. Her childhood was spent
in a war-ravaged part of the Middle East where the bombs were noted
for their destruction, not their beauty.
Hakim embodies a growing breed of franchisees--namely,
hard-working immigrants making personal sacrifices to attain
success. It's a little-known phenomenon, but it makes sense:
The franchise offering circulars for some of our more notable
American icons, such as Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, IHOP and
Motel 6, show franchising can be a great solution for those who
know little of the American culture.
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Hakim experienced the shock of a new environment when she sat
for her first IHOP franchisee-training exam--at age 20. "I was
sitting at a table and wondered what all the bottles on the table
were for. Finally, I had the courage to ask, and they told me they
were for syrup," she says. "I had never tasted syrup
before--I had never had a pancake." Hakim was in training to
run an IHOP her parents had bought, but she persevered and now owns
and/or operates five IHOP restaurants and is preparing to build
another.
To her advantage, Hakim says she learns quickly and likes to nip
problems in the bud. "When the food is delivered, I watch my
customers' faces," she says. "If they have issues, I
go to them before they have to ask."
Hakim now employs more than 300 employees and has inspired her
older brother, Ramsey, to get into franchising--he now owns all the
IHOP franchises in San Antonio, Texas. Hakim's large home in
Frisco, Texas, is a far cry from the bomb shelters of her
youth--all because she wasn't afraid to work hard to elevate
herself to a new paradigm.
Todd D. Maddocks is a franchise attorney, small-business
consultant and founder of Franchisedecision.com.