From a loyal customer to a passionate franchisee – that is Hassiba Houzi, Franchisee of Crepe Delicious & Froshberg Gelato at The Core in Calgary.
It wasn’t long ago that Hassiba would shop at CrossIron Mills shopping centre and visit Crepe Delicious for lunch. She was a loyal customer and would often bring her family and friends. On one particular visit to Crepe Delicious, Hassiba noticed a sign that said ‘Be Your Own Boss’ which got her thinking. At that point, Hassiba and her family had been considering purchasing a franchise business, but they had not considered the food industry.
After completing her diploma in Business Administration, Hassiba secured a job as a bookkeeper in a busy office. She knew that her goal was to be independent and self-employed and started to investigate her options in various industries. When she came upon the opportunity to be her own boss with Crepe Delicious, she began to investigate and never looked back.
For Hassiba, this became a true family business – partnering with her father, sister and longtime family friend to turn her dream into a reality. Looking back, she recalls being terrified of this new experience but she knew that her family was behind her. The journey to franchisee has been intense and Hassiba shares that it is a big responsibility everyday to run a business with pride and passion. For Hassiba, satisfaction now comes from meeting new customers, interacting with them and delighting them.
Now, Hassiba can reflect back and see how this opportunity completely changed her approach to life – becoming more patient, always pushing herself to improve and taking a positive approach to learning and receiving feedback. Working closely with CEO & President, Oded Yefet, her confidence in running her business has increased. He has provided good instruction, explanations and solutions for everyday operations and business growth, which has been invaluable to running her Crepe Delicious franchise.
What advice does Hassiba have for potential Crepe Delicious franchisees? Go for it!
