There’s Always an Opportunity (My Story with Hot and Crispy)

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life," author Ziad Rayess recounts his experience of facing a major downturn in his catering business in the 1990s.

Due to significant customer payment arrears, Rayess was forced to explore other solutions to generate income for the company. While on a trip to Germany, he discovered a store selling seasoned french fries and was inspired to bring the concept back home. Despite the numerous challenges, Rayess persevered and eventually turned his idea into a successful franchise known as Hot and Crispy.

The Inspiring Story of Hot and Crispy:

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer "Ziad Rayess" mentions: At the end of the 1990s, there was a major downturn in work and cashflow at our company. We were specializing in catering services for workers at large companies, but we reached this extremely difficult period because we had huge collectibles from others that were not being paid. We had to seek other solutions in the retail sector to ensure diverse sources of cash income for the company.

During my regular trip to a food trade show in Germany, I added on a visit to my grandmother’s house in a city near Mannheim. When I was downtown, I noticed a store that just sold seasoned french-fries in different shapes. The concept of the store revolved around a single item with a distinctive taste, but there was a long line in front. The store was called Big Pommes.

I began to think about the possibility of implementing the idea back home. Two months later, I happened to be on summer vacation with my family, and my small children were with me. I took them to the same store to buy this product, and they ended up asking me to take them there again. This was an important indicator for me.

I began to search for a source of potatoes by getting the name and address from the bag that the store used (Lamb Weston). I went back to my country and began to write to them at their headquarters in the United States without getting any response. Simultaneously, I began to study the concept and what would be required for it, such as name and logo design, interior design, container design, cost and design for a single location and portable carts, equipment costs, etc.

Then I chose the name Hot and Crispy, drawn in the same colors as today (blue, yellow, and orange). At the time, I was influenced by how much I liked the colors in the logo of German airline Lufthansa, to the point that I went to the mall looking for clothes in the same colors and bought a shirt with the same colors. I took it to the designer and asked him to make the logo color mostly the same colors as the shirt. I became passionately involved in all the details, and shortly I was visiting a show in the Netherlands when the very company I wanted appeared before me. I got to know them and explained my idea in a full presentation. We came to an agreement and a shipment of the first container was approved.

The company was registered as an offshore company in England, and the project was launched in the Gulf, with us acting as agents of Hot and Crispy - Britain.

The grand opening of the first small stand in the corner of a large supermarket was remarkably well received. A short time later, the model carts were approved and a kitchen equipment company that owed us a lot of money provided them. We opened 80 locations in the first year and another 80 the second year, becoming the fastest-expanding franchise in the Gulf for two consecutive years (opening a new location every five days).

During this period, we contracted with a globally certified company in the world of franchising and we embraced all of its requirements to launch the franchise concept and sell it in several countries. Hot and Crispy was evaluated by a leading international accounting company as being worth 30–40 million riyals. We built a factory in Egypt to produce the seasoned fries, and it became the first factory in the Middle East to export seasoned potatoes to Europe, exporting to more than 16 countries. We worked on doubling its production power, and it became the primary Middle Eastern source of potatoes for Europe in particular.

Yes! This story of Hot and Crispy, born out of hardship and challenge, became a success story.

Conclusion:

The story of Hot and Crispy is solid evidence of the power of innovation and tenacity in the face of adversity. Despite facing financial challenges and coming up against hurdles like unresponsive suppliers, Rayess refused to give up on his vision. He was able to turn his idea into a thriving franchise that expanded rapidly and became a major player in the potato industry through his hard work, dedication, and attention to detail. His story inspires entrepreneurs and business owners, highlighting the importance of creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience in achieving success.