Tariq Farid
Encyclopedia
Tariq Farid is an entrepreneur
who is the owner and CEO of Edible Arrangements International Inc.
In 2009 he was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Franchise Association
.
, Pakistan
, in 1969, the oldest of six children of Ghulam and Salma Farid. His father emigrated to the United States
in the 1970s, working in Connecticut
as a machinist. Tariq Farid arrived in the United States with the rest of the family in 1981, when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Tariq mowed lawns and worked in a McDonald’s restaurant. In 1986, when he was 17, the family bought and began operating a flower shop in East Haven, Connecticut
. While working in the family business, which expanded to additional locations, Tariq developed a computerized point of sale
system for floral shops, and struck out on his own in 1991 in a business selling computer systems to flower retailers.
In 1999, he and his brothers partnered to open the first Edible Arrangements store in Hamden, Connecticut
. The business specializes in fresh fruit
arrangements, melding the concept of fruit baskets with design inspired by the floral business. After designing the computer systems, training manuals, production and profitability tracking and supply chain management process, they began franchising the concept in 2001. As president and CEO, Farid has grown the company to more than 1,000 stores serving locations in the United States, Canada
, Puerto Rico
, the United Arab Emirates
, Saudi Arabia
, Kuwait
, Qatar
, Bahrain
, Italy
, Hong Kong
, India
, and Jordan
. In March 2008 the company was reported to have annual revenues of $195 million.
In 2006, Farid also launched the franchise concept Frutation by Edible Arrangements out of his desire to provide consumers an “on-the-go” option.
In 2010, Edible Arrangements faced dissatisfaction from some of its franchisees. In January 2010, more than 270 franchisees presented Farid with individual letters expressing opposition to corporate policies and practices that they considered to be harmful to their individual franchised businesses. The franchisees formed an association known as "EA Independent Franchisees Association, LLC", or "EAIFA" and hired an attorney
to represent them in possible litigation. On September 20, 2010 the group filed a lawsuit
in federal court on behalf of 170 franchisees, alleging that several changes the company made in its franchise agreements were unfair or violated contractual obligations to the franchisees. Edible Arrangements International, responded to inquiries about the lawsuit by saying that they strongly disagreed with the accusations and would vigorously defend the complaint. The company subsequently initiated a motion in the courts to dismiss the case, but this attempt was denied by a District of Connectcut judge on July 19, 2011 and the franchisees were granted authority to pursue the case on all claims.
, Farid is founder, together with his brothers, of the Salma K. Farid Academy
, an Islamic school in Hamden, Connecticut
that opened in October 2008. It is named in honor of Farid's mother, who died in 2005. Farid has also sought to establish a mosque
in Wallingford, Connecticut
to honor his mother, but failed to get town zoning
approval for his proposal, which was strongly opposed by area residents. He is also a member of Deen Inc. New Haven, which aims to revitalize the inner-city neighborhood.
IN 2009 Tariq was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
He spoke at the 3rd Leadership Summit held by the council for the advancement of Muslim Professionals and at the Small Business Summit held by The New York Times.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who is the owner and CEO of Edible Arrangements International Inc.
Edible Arrangements
Edible Arrangements is a U.S.-based franchising business that specializes in fresh fruit arrangements, melding the concept of fruit baskets with design inspired by the floral business.-History:...
In 2009 he was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Franchise Association
International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising. Founded in 1960, it is a Washington, DC based trade group and non-profit association that represents a growing membership of more than 1,300 franchise systems, 10,000-plus franchisees...
.
Biography
Tariq Farid was born near LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, in 1969, the oldest of six children of Ghulam and Salma Farid. His father emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1970s, working in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
as a machinist. Tariq Farid arrived in the United States with the rest of the family in 1981, when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Tariq mowed lawns and worked in a McDonald’s restaurant. In 1986, when he was 17, the family bought and began operating a flower shop in East Haven, Connecticut
East Haven, Connecticut
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
. While working in the family business, which expanded to additional locations, Tariq developed a computerized point of sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
system for floral shops, and struck out on his own in 1991 in a business selling computer systems to flower retailers.
Business ventures
By 1993, the computer enterprise grew into the computer software distributor Netsolace.In 1999, he and his brothers partnered to open the first Edible Arrangements store in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
. The business specializes in fresh fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
arrangements, melding the concept of fruit baskets with design inspired by the floral business. After designing the computer systems, training manuals, production and profitability tracking and supply chain management process, they began franchising the concept in 2001. As president and CEO, Farid has grown the company to more than 1,000 stores serving locations in the United States, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. In March 2008 the company was reported to have annual revenues of $195 million.
In 2006, Farid also launched the franchise concept Frutation by Edible Arrangements out of his desire to provide consumers an “on-the-go” option.
In 2010, Edible Arrangements faced dissatisfaction from some of its franchisees. In January 2010, more than 270 franchisees presented Farid with individual letters expressing opposition to corporate policies and practices that they considered to be harmful to their individual franchised businesses. The franchisees formed an association known as "EA Independent Franchisees Association, LLC", or "EAIFA" and hired an attorney
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
to represent them in possible litigation. On September 20, 2010 the group filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in federal court on behalf of 170 franchisees, alleging that several changes the company made in its franchise agreements were unfair or violated contractual obligations to the franchisees. Edible Arrangements International, responded to inquiries about the lawsuit by saying that they strongly disagreed with the accusations and would vigorously defend the complaint. The company subsequently initiated a motion in the courts to dismiss the case, but this attempt was denied by a District of Connectcut judge on July 19, 2011 and the franchisees were granted authority to pursue the case on all claims.
Civic activities
A MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Farid is founder, together with his brothers, of the Salma K. Farid Academy
Salma K. Farid Academy
Salma K. Farid Academy is a private Islamic preschool and elementary school in Hamden, Connecticut.The non-profit coeducational school's core principles, curriculum, and daily practices are based solely on the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. The school serves children between the ages of 3...
, an Islamic school in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
that opened in October 2008. It is named in honor of Farid's mother, who died in 2005. Farid has also sought to establish a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
to honor his mother, but failed to get town zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
approval for his proposal, which was strongly opposed by area residents. He is also a member of Deen Inc. New Haven, which aims to revitalize the inner-city neighborhood.
Awards and recognitions
In 2009 Tariq was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Franchise Association.IN 2009 Tariq was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
He spoke at the 3rd Leadership Summit held by the council for the advancement of Muslim Professionals and at the Small Business Summit held by The New York Times.
External links
- Tariq Farid Official Website
- Edible Arrangements
- The Boss: Bouquets That Bear Fruit, by Tariq Farid, as told to Patricia R. Olsen. The New York Times, November 8, 2009, page BU9 of the New York edition.