“Ambassador of Hospitality”

by Josh Garrick

When Rashid Choufani recalls the early days of his career, he tells of the legendary tradition of hospitality which has existed for hundreds of years in his home country of Morocco. “Milk and dates …” he says, “For generations we have extended our welcome in that way at weddings, parties, and banquets. Moroccans have a gift for extending hospitality.” Rashid Choufani has inherited that gift of Moroccan hospitality and has turned it into a multi-national corporation which is growing daily and is becoming legendary—in its own way—for entertaining and hospitality.

“Our Passion is FOOD,” he says, “and Our Obsession is SERVICE.” Rashid Choufani, the Chairman and CEO of E-Brands Restaurants and the Moroccan pavilion at Walt Disney World, is a leader who clearly communicates and inspires. It is no surprise that Rashid Choufani counts the world’s greatest chefs as personal friends. This international restaurateur, “worships the old school of the BIG Chefs. It’s the school that I know,” he says, “and that includes my regard for—and my friendship with—Paul Bocuse, Alain DuCasse, Daniel Boulud, and Wolfgang Puck.”

Having graduated from college with a degree in hotel management, he has known fine food all his life and is now on a mission to bring an extraordinary level of dining and hospitality—in the tradition of that legendary Moroccan hospitality—to the United States. That wish made a great leap forward when he created E-Brands Restaurants, a very successful restaurant holding company.

In 2002, E-Brands Restaurants acquired 12 restaurants in 9 states including Timpano Italian Chophouse (Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Rockville, MD.), Samba Room (Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Denver, Dallas, Naperville), Bossa (Houston), Canonita (Las Vegas) and has since opened the award-winning AquaKnox in Las Vegas, Timpano Italian Chophouse in Tampa and the new Salsa Taqueria & Tequila Bar in Orlando. Choufani, who knows and demands quality, went about surrounding himself with what he calls his “shining team” to run the restaurants.

On his management style, Choufani says, “I’m on a mission to sell fine dining. The only way to do this is to surround myself with the best. I believe in what I do and expect that of the people who work with me. I want everyone - from the top management to the people who greet our guests at the door to be passionate and obsessed by what we do. I go out of my way to implement this style.”

Choufani began his career at the Marhaba Hotel—a five-star hotel in Agadir, Morocco. He recalls that, at that time, he felt there was a need for a fine restaurant at the hotel. “It was a natural move,” he says. The creation of that restaurant was one more ‘natural’ step for a man who consistently punctuates his life with good decisions all of which come back to tradition, hospitality, and quality. Building his reputation in Morocco led to his association with Disney in Orlando. With its emphasis on quality and guest services, Choufani found a perfect environment, “Disney is the BEST school. “Success,” he says, “comes when you surround yourself with the best and believe in what you do.”

“This passion for great food is a way that I can reflect Morocco’s legendary hospitality in America. Right now, America has the greatest foods, the greatest chefs, and the greatest wines. We can add imagination in preparation and fine service and still make it affordable and fun for our guests.”

Choufani conveys dignity and commands respect. Quality is the word most associated with him by all who meet him. This is evident from his personal presentation - dark pinstripe suits and ties in fabrics that are crisp, but subtle enough not to overshadow the impact of his words. He collects art and cars. He has several homes including a chalet in the Alps, a palatial home in Morocco, and a ‘celebrity’ home on the Butler chain of lakes in Orlando, Florida. As part of his business, he owns real estate and shopping centers, builds up-scale homes, and oversees an import business that brings the freshest olive oil and other food products to the United States.

His ‘passion for food and obsession for service’ is working. Within one year of acquiring the restaurants, those restaurants had already posted double digit sales increases. This year, the numbers are up an amazing 30% over last year’s increases. There is no question that this success was achieved by a dynamic leader who sees himself as an ambassador of fine dining and who clearly states his work ethic as a passion and an obsession.

The multi-lingual Choufani speaks five languages fluently and often moves from one language to another even in the same conversation. A devoted family man, Choufani and his wife Marianne celebrate 35 years of marriage this year. They are the parents of daughter Mya—a dentist in New York City, and son Jaafar, currently in law school.