Success Stories: Tanweer Ahmed

Yum! Franchisee Demonstrates Intentionality Through Rapid Expansion

"Some people dream of success," says Yum! Franchisee Tanweer Ahmed, "but I wake up everyday and work hard at it."

Tanweer says he would rather be working the line, passing food out the drive-thru window or cooking than sitting in his office. "Fanatical customer service is not a single act. It is a habit practiced every moment of every day. It takes months to find a customer but only seconds to lose one”

That intentionality is paying off for the Pakistan native who in just two years has built and bought a combined 25 Yum! Restaurants in the Houston market.

Leadership is about capturing the imagination and enthusiasm of your people with clearly defined goals that cut through the fog like a beacon in the night”

Scott Haner, Yum! VP Franchise Development, particularly likes the fact that Tanweer is willing to both build and buy restaurants. While the company is putting a high emphasis on refranchising existing restaurants, Haner says building new units are critical to the company's continued growth. "I just love Tanweer's attitude," Haner says.

Tanweer left Pakistan in 1988 for San Francisco. He took an entry level position with a Jack in the Box franchisee and moved up rapidly. Within 10 years he was running an area for the franchisee. But he wanted his own business, so he quit to start a parcel delivery enterprise. Within six months he had 45 people on staff and he has since taken it to a $30 million a year company with 530 employees. Although he now lives in Houston, he retains ownership of the delivery business.

In 2005, Tanweer decided to apply as a fast food franchisee. He applied with all the big name companies but after interviews he left each feeling like he hadn’t found the right match. "They didn’t offer the growth opportunities I was looking for; they were in built out markets and they only offered one brand," he says. "Then I learned about Yum!'s multibranding program and I applied to be a KFC franchisee. I really like diversification and Yum! gives you that with multibranding."

Yum! suggested Tanweer move to Houston where, under the franchise name Pak Foods, he opened a KFC/A&W in April 2006 and continued building multibrand restaurants and buying company stores.

"A leader's job is to look into the future, and to see the organization not as it is "but as it can become.

"My future back five-year vision is to own 70 restaurants," he projects.

His management philosophy: "Set clearly defined goals that your people can achieve. Have confidence, trust and commitment with your team. We believe in each other around here — and it's working!"

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