Thursday night was a big night for local restaurant owner Reza Akbari as he accepted Small Business BC’s Premier’s People’s Choice Award for Shiraz Cafe and Restaurant at a ceremony in Vancouver.
Akbari, who graduated from UNBC with a degree in marketing in 2010, says he always wanted to own a business. He offers this advice to anyone considering starting their own:
“Follow your passion – passion is [the] key to success. And I would say, go talk to the business people. Go talk to people who have done it and listen to their stories. Their story will definitely empower you.”
The first Persian restaurant in northern BC, Shiraz Cafe and Restaurant opened in 2012. Akbari says the secret to success in the restaurant business is all about emotion.
“My core business is around feeling. When a customer walks in the restaurant, whatever we say, whatever we do, they may forget. But whatever we make them feel, they will never forget.”
Akbari says he has received an amazing amount of support from the local community and that, while receiving this award is an honour, the win comes with a sense of responsibility.
“I feel more responsible. I have to move forward with an extra level of determination and passion and commitment because I totally feel that the title brings some responsibility as well as this award.”
Akbari says the path from nomination to win is a 6-month process that brings both anxiety and excitement. He says he learned a lot about his fellow nominees and faced stiff competition in the category this year.
Shiraz was first nominated for the Premier’s People’s Choice Award in 2015.
Local gaming business Game Quest made it to the top 5 in the category again this year – it’s their second time as finalists.