Edible Arrangements founder and CEO Tariq Farid recognized top-performing franchisees at the company's seventh annual International Convention held at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando.
The company's top awards went to:
- Reva Gartzke of Austin, Texas, who was named Edible Arrangements' North American Franchisee of the Year. Gartzke owns four locations in Austin, Round Rock, and Cedar Park, Texas.
- Nourah Al-Rossais of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who was named International Franchisee of the Year.
- Jim Echols of Charlotte, North Carolina, who received the prestigious WOW Award recognizing a franchisee that wows customers and the corporate office on a regular basis.
- Maurice Welton of McAllen, Texas, received the President's Award, which is presented to a franchisee selected by Farid to recognize someone who is a true evangelist for the brand on a daily basis. Welton has locations in McAllen, Brownsville, and Harlingen, Texas, and a store coming soon to Weslaco, Texas.
- Sarah Contreras of El Paso, Texas, who was named the Manager of the Year.
"It's thanks to our amazing network of franchisees that Edible Arrangements has reached over 1,000 stores around the world," Farid said while presenting the awards. "The franchise owneres honored this year consistently deliver the highest-quality product, hospitality, and service to guests, and we are proud to recognize so many of them for their achievements."
Recipients of the Edible Arrangements' signature "Pineapple Star" award include single-store and multiunit operators from regions across the U.S., Canada, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Pineapple Star winners included:
- Cathleen and Rober Schneider of Catsonville, Maryland; Pineapple Star Mid-Atlantic Region
- Judy and Albert Annunziata of Newburgh, New York; Pineapple Star Northeast Region
- Greg Cieslak of Mundelein, Illinois; Pineapple Star Midwest Region
- Jehah and Rebecca Hannoush of Lake Mary, Florida; Pineapple Star Southeast Region
- Claudine Moon and Laurie Vork of Roseville, Minnesota; Pineapple Star Central Region
- Lisa and Steven Durst of Pleasanton, California; Pineapple Star West Region
- David Nixon and Elaine Macdonald of Ottawa, Ontario; Pineapple Star Canada
- Jianui Wang and Zhigang Liu of Beijing, China; Pineapple Star International
The chain also recognized top operators for awards ranging from customer service to the Edible Idea award and even Vendor of the Year. Those recipients included:
- Michelle Walker and Marcy Moore of Daphne, Alabama; Customer Service Award
- Robert Mignosi and Moses Zambrano of Philadelphia; Best Multiunit Owner
- TeLena Matthews of Garden Grove, California; Edible Idea Award
- Nicholas and Emma D'alleva of Beverly, Massachusetts; Outstanding My Store Marketing
- The Hershey Company, Vendor of the Year
- Rushi, Rita, and Vijay Sukharamawala, and Shreya Patel of Philadelphia; Highest Sales: Under 24 Months
- Samir and Madhvi Daftary of Bellevue, Washington; Highest Sales: 24-36 Months
- Thomas and James Stratford of Washington, D.C.; Highest Sales: 36+ Months
- Ibrahim and Hashim Choudhry of Moreno, California; Highest Sales: Mother's Day
- Robert Mignosi and Moses Zambrano of Philadelphia; Highest Sales: Valentine's Day
