Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2014 | Page 20

2014 MVP AWARDS

“I take special pride in being able to offer young
adults their first job, some while still in high school,”

He credits his company’s achievements to a wife who is the
“engine to my success,” great franchisor partners, his father’s
advice about procrastination, and the opportunities available
in the U.S. “Not waiting on doing things until tomorrow
will many times cause one to be at the office until very late.
Thus far the hard work has paid off quite handsomely, and I
am humbled by what we have been able to achieve,” he says.
In addition to his myriad charitable contributions and
participation, an important part of his work lies in helping
the young people he employs stay on track and follow their
own dreams. “I take special pride in being able to offer young

PERSONAL
Formative influences/events: Growing up in India was by far the most
influential factor in propelling me to seek a better future for my family.
Key accomplishments: Opening the world’s largest Arco am/pm, Mecca
Travel Center. This site is in a rural area where it seemed difficult to see my
business grow. However, with the right team and countless hours of work,
we have made record sales and we continue to grow. Also, joining a fantastic
brand like Del Taco has been an extraordinary experience. The Del Taco team
has stood by our side from day one and we are incredibly thankful to be a
part of such a successful enterprise.
Work week: Monday through Saturday, and sometimes even Sunday.
What are you reading? Online news sites have temporarily taken hold
of my reading time.
Best advice you ever got: My father once told me, “Don’t do tomorrow
what you can do today, and if there’s something you need to do today get it
done now.”
What’s your passion in business? I feel passionate about building businesses that improve the infrastructure of our communities, promote
economic growth for our cities, and offer individuals a means to support their
families in a dignified manner.

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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2014

adults their first job, some while still in high school,” he says.
“This is a method by which I, as a business owner, actively
improve the quality of individuals who will grow to be the
fabric of our communities.”

MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: Growing conscientiously while keeping in mind the
ethics with which our company was built. There is also a large “do it yourself”
spirit that I regularly project onto my team. This means that if a challenge
arises, each team member should strive to figure out the best solution and
make our individual efforts coalesce into the best result.
Management method or style: We believe in a hands-on approach
where all of our team members work proactively to achieve the highest level
of efficiency. Transparency and open lines of communication are also key
aspects of our work life.
Greatest challenge: At this moment my greatest challenge is to balance
work and family life. I find myself continuously balancing and looking for
ingenious ways to spend more time with my family without losing track of the
office work.
How do others describe you? As the hardest-working person they’ve
ever met. This description probably is the result of my effort to follow my
father’s advice about procrastination.
How do you hire and fire, train and retain? We recruit and hire
personnel based on individual aptitudes. After this, we have made it a personal business philosophy to cross-train everyone, which allows us to identify
particular skills and rearrange personnel as necessary. Our employees are
part of our extended family and we are very receptive to their voices, which
makes it easier to pinpoint problems. Letting go of someone is done through a
step-by-step method with ample notification and hard copy documentation. It
is always done keeping in mind the company’s needs and the employee’s fit
in our enterprise.