Local Best Friends Turn to Bar and Eatery to Become Business Partners
Bar Louie is pleased to announce it has signed a franchise development agreement to open five new bar and eateries in the Houston area. The first location is planned to open by the end of 2016. The five franchised restaurants will join three corporate-owned Bar Louies currently in the area at Willowbrook Mall, Baybrook Mall and The Woodlands.
The new Bar Louie locations will be owned and operated by longtime best friends and experienced business owners Shaheed Momin and Khalid Kajani. After meeting 30 years ago and going on to enjoy successful careers in banking and law, respectfully, this will be the first time Momin and Kajani are in business with each other. Prior to signing the Bar Louie franchise agreement, Momin graduated from the University of Texas and went on to a career in banking in New York City. Additionally, he owns a Houston-based coffee manufacturing and distribution company. Kajani owns his own law firm and comes from a career in commercial and multi-family real estate. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University and law degree from the South Texas College of Law.
“We’ve gone from being the Best Man in each other’s weddings to business partners because we both fell in love with Bar Louie’s concept,” said Momin. “Houston is in need of places where Millennials can go to relax and get a hand crafted cocktail and delicious made from scratch food. We have seen what Bar Louie and its franchisees have done throughout the country, and sales number, management, atmosphere and menu are all wildly impressive. We jumped at the chance to expand it throughout our hometown of Houston.”
Khalid and Momin are working with Joan Collum of Collum Commercial to advance the site selection process. Collum indicates she and the Bar Louie franchisees are specifically searching for locations with a high daytime population and a close proximity to entertainment options. Collum notes, “Houston and its surrounding areas have a lot to offer for Bar Louie. I see the brand succeeding well in the downtown Market Square area, the Heights, and outer suburbs like Sugar Land, Katy, Lake Jackson and more.”
Houston’s Bar Louie will offer local residents the perfect gathering place for drinks and dinner with friends, watching the big game and anything in between. In addition to delicious specialty martinis and made from scratch food, the Houston locations will play host to what will become weekly rituals in the community. Houstonians will come to expect daily happy hour specials, Bar Louie’s Blues & Brews nights, live music and more. Additionally, each new Bar Louie will create, on average, 75-100 community jobs.
“This franchise agreement marks a significant milestone for Bar Louie as we continue to swiftly expand the brand throughout the country,” said John Neitzel, Bar Louie CEO. “With the help of franchisees like Shaheed and Khalid in our home state of Texas, Bar Louie is carving out a distinctive niche in the social bar and eatery space. Each individual Bar Louie contains its own set of diverse characteristics, and we are excited to see what’s to come for the Houston locations.”
Bar Louie is a national collection of neighborhood bars featuring hand-crafted cocktails and spirits, delectable food and an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy time with friends and mingle with new people. Founded in 1991 in Chicago, Bar Louie has 116 locations across the United States and is growing through both franchising and corporate locations. Open during four parts of the day – lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night – Bar Louie is an award-winning concept with a progressively hip and lively atmosphere. For more information on Bar Louie, visit www.barlouie.com. To learn about franchising opportunities with Bar Louie, go to www.barlouie.com/franchise.
