Speaking of branding, both Albanis and Nimeh admit the name Chicken Dijon doesn’t really describe their brand, which is neither French nor emphasises Dijon sauces. “But after 14 years of building the brand, that’s how so many customers know it,” Nimeh says. “That’s the original name from the time my dad was involved. It’s dear to our hearts and we’ve been successful with it.”

The Nimehs opened their second and third stores nearby in 2003 and began making plans to franchise in 2004. Albanis, a longtime friend whose experience came from Daphne’s Greek Café, joined the company to solidify operations and spearhead growth. He has helped open four stores in California since early 2006, two of which are franchises. Multi-franchise partnerships are in the works.

“Every time we open a new store, we have to take a moment and look at each other,” Nimeh says. “We think of the trying times we went through. We still have many of our original customers come in—the ones who used to drink Turkish coffee with our father—and says, ‘Your dad would be so proud of you.’ That means a lot.”