Meet Faisal Ghani of Olive Mediterranean Grill in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Faisal Ghani.

Faisal, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I came to the United States at a very young age. Both my parents were working very hard to provide for us. After graduating from High School, I did a lot of odd jobs, such as restocking drinks at delis. I was able to find a job working at Jimmy John’s as a driver. After a short time of working there, I was promoted to manager and helped develop their training manuals for Jimmy Johns, that is still being used today. I started my own franchise, with a partner, and was able to grow the amount of stores I own, from 1 to 23 locations.

During my time at growing my business, I had traveled to Turkey. I fell in love with the cuisine and felt that it was super fresh and healthy. I decided to start a concept that offers an alternative to all the fast food that is out there. I started by opening my first location in downtown, at the worse food court I can find. I wanted to do a proof of concept, by giving people the option to opt for something that is fresh, and healthy vs, the usual food court options such as McDonald’s, to popeyes etc.

We were told by everyone in the food court, that we would not last a month, and funny enough we were the last place that was open in the food court after everyone had left. (the building got bought out and closed). Through having this proof of concept, I was able to open 4 additional locations as of today. And I have two additional locations coming down the line.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a very smooth road, however thanks to a very strong support group of people around me, I was able to accomplish all the goals I had set in my mind and more some. I would never a change a thing, for all experiences I had in my journey, is what made me the person I am today.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Olive Mediterranean Grill – what should we know?
Olive Mediterranean Grill, is focused on a very high-quality product, that is served in a consistent fashion. Our meats come from Creekstone Farms, which are the same meat company that serves most of the high-end steakhouses such as Gibsons in Chicago. Our chicken comes from Amish forms, and most of our menu is gluten-free.

We strive to make sure that our supply chain is very strong, and that what really sets us apart is the technology we have put in our restaurants. We wanted to make sure that the teams in our restaurants are able to execute their daily prep as fast and efficient as possible. We also have perfected the “baked Falafel”.

As to the best of my knowledge we are the first one to do so. One of the main things I am very proud is that the food we serve is really good and good for you. I feel that because we do not cut corners, I can feed my own child Olive, and feel great about it, for that, I know what he is putting in his body is truly good for him.

We have a set of beliefs that we really live by. Sharing what we love, redefining the odds, and living in the moment. By these set of beliefs, we have been able to grow, purely through word of mouth from our customers to get where we are today.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Never giving up. I feel that going along with our sets of beliefs at OMG, redefining the odds, is very important for me. Family and creating a true family amongst my team at OMG is also a main factor. Everyone I work with, I always treat as family and feel truly that we are here for each other.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1001 West North Ave, Chicago, IL, 60642
  1726 Sherman, Evanston, IL, 60201
  111 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL, 60654
  23 East Adams Street, Chicago, IL, 60605
  186 West Van Buren Street, Chicago, IL, 60605
• Website: www.eatomg.com
• Email: faisal@eatomg.com pekin@eatomg.com

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