Mohamad Fakih believes it’s easy to talk about principles, values and good things when everyone is doing well. But, says the founder of Paramount Fine Foods, a Toronto-based Middle-Eastern restaurant chain, “it’s so hard to maintain it and prove it was not lip service at the worst time for businesses, industry and people, when everyone is stressed.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic first impacted Canada back in March, Paramount Fine Foods, has been taking steps to ease some of the burden felt by its staff and members of its communities.
“It’s about supporting each other and understanding everyone is experiencing hardship right now,” says Fakih, who is well-known in the industry for his philanthropic initiatives. “We must come together as a community to best support one another and fight through this together as one strong entity.”
Paramount committed early on to donating nearly 2,000 meals to food banks and shelters across the Greater Toronto Area to support the most vulnerable in those communities. The company also worked with Feed Our Heroes, an initiative to support frontline healthcare workers through meal delivery.
“We hope that through these initiatives we’re able to help and provide service to many people in need of support,” says Fakih. “It’s times like these where we must give to those in need and help provide for those who are taking care of us.”
As COVID-19 continues to shake the industry, Fakih says, in his role as a leader, ensuring the safety and health of his team members continues to be a top priority.
“There are so many stressors (professional and personal) our team members are dealing with daily. It’s important to let them know we appreciate and support their efforts,” he says. “You also need to remind your people why we’re doing all this, why we’re still standing, why we’re still smiling. We have others looking up to us as leaders and we need to lead by example.”
He says being a strong leader through these turbulent times means being supportive and letting his team know they’ll get through it together. “Checking-in and celebrating the selfless contribution of individuals on my team during these unprecedented times [is important]. It’s more important now than ever to keep your team engaged and motivated.”
He also points to what he calls “purposeful optimism” as a way to help his team cope with the challenges presented by COVID-19. This means sharing short- and long-term plans and clearly communicating how each role within the team will contribute to the company’s future success.
“[We need to show them] it can be done and be patient when it comes to any resistance we find within our team. It’s also very important to show how the least fortunate are surviving.”
Acknowledging and appreciating the efforts of his team is accomplished in a number of ways, including sharing examples of restaurants and team members that go over and above. “Everyone celebrates these accomplishments because it’s a ‘win’ for the entire Paramount family,” he explains. “Our success is 100-per-cent dependent upon their passion and commitment to Paramount’s future.”
While Paramount isn’t immune to the financial challenges brought on as a result of COVID-19, Fakih firmly believes continuing to give back and support important causes strengthens the company’s corporate culture.
“At these uncertain times, we need to dare to care,” he says. “We need to support each other as we navigate the growing concern of the Coronavirus together. Paramount is going to do whatever we can to keep our guests, team members and communities safe.”
