Kami Rahmati immigrated to Canada in 1991 and settled in Winnipeg. His first job was as a dishwasher; then he bought a car and got a job delivering pizza for Pizza Hut. In 1996, he put everything on the line to buy a Robin’s Donuts.
“When I came to Canada I said, ‘I have to be a strong person here,’” Rahmati said, recalling how hard he worked in his early days in this country at low-paying restaurant jobs.
Rahmati eventually bought several more Robin’s Donuts locations in Winnipeg, each time improving sales by fixing up the restaurants – often through inexpensive renovations, like a coat of paint – keeping the locations scrupulously clean and emphasizing customer service.
Rahmati started Waves Coffee House in 2005, at first intending to run it with his son as a single coffee shop. But soon he got several offers to buy the shop, which was in a prime location at Richards and Hastings streets in downtown Vancouver.
He decided to franchise the business. There are now 26 Waves Coffee locations across Metro Vancouver.
Rahmati said his philosophy is simple: do everything for the customer, and treat franchisees “like family.”
“I did everything from my heart – quality, customer service,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the customer walked out the door with a smile.”
“I love what I do,” he added. “To me commitment is the key, to do it right. It’s not all about money. If a friend comes to your house, how are you going to make your friend happy and enjoy one or two hours in your house?”
He expects franchisees to adopt his value system of putting the customer first, but if franchisees are struggling and need help, “their pain is my pain.”
“My goal is they all be ‘mini-Kamis,’” he said.
On being committed | “I care about details. I care about cleanliness. I care about customer service. I think these are the three columns that make you stand out in any business. … This is what I think differentiates you from other people. Anything I do, I want to do it the best. [For instance,] if I go play soccer, I don’t miss any games or practices.”
Has a work or life challenge taught you a key career lesson? Contact Jen St. Denis at [email protected]
