Today, we’d like to introduce you to Hicham Azhari. Hicham was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Salim Mekhmoukh.
Hicham, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
I came to Atlanta in 1997 to study computer science at Georgia Tech. During that time I met my now partner, Fikret Kovak. We had two things in common. We loved soccer and the hospitality industry. Together we opened our first restaurant together, Salt Factory Pub in Roswell in 2008. I’m happy to say there are now 5 Salt locations; Alpharetta, Woodstock, Madison Yards and Huntsville, Alabama. We also opened the original Little Alley Steak on Canton Street in Roswell in 2012. The second location is in Buckhead. Both serve the finest prime USDA cuts of beef from Meats by Linz in Chicago and have been rated among the top 100 steakhouses in the country by Forbes Magazine. When Salim came to me, talking about his idea for a new energy drink, I was intrigued and impressed by all the work he had put in. I’m a risk taker and investing in MADO was a no brainer. The key ingredient, astaxanthin, can improve your workout performance, increase stamina, reduce inflammation and improve endurance. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the market.
Please tell us more about your brand, F&H Food Trading Company
My partner Fix and I didn’t have a lot of money in the beginning but we reinvested everything we made back into the business. People thought we were making a mistake when we opened Little Alley Steak in 2012 during a recession. We traveled to some of best steakhouses in the country before signing on with Meats by Linz in Chicago. In order for us to stand out from we took chances. Especially when moving our second location into a 12,000 square foot space. Almost everything inside is custom. And I’m happy to say that other cities are asking us to bring our concept to them. When it comes to MADO, I think it’s be best energy drink out there. Not only does it contain a very powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin, it is loaded with vitamins C, B3, B6 and B12 plus electrolytes. It is available in five flavors.
Salim Mekhmoukh and MADO-Energy have been great to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship with them as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Salim Mekhmoukh and MADO-Energy and your experience with them.
When I met Salim he was about 21 or 22. He was trying to start a packaging company and I really saw a lot of myself in him. Here’s this kid, on his own, trying to start a business with no support. He was so ambitious. I admired that and decided to help. When he came up with MADO and I realized the market was blowing up with energy drinks, I backed him. I never thought I’d get into the beverage industry but Salim was so passionate about it. I did my research and realized MADO could change the energy drink world.
Website: www.littlealleysteak.com
Image Credits
David Danzig
