Skipping down 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, curiosity ran through me. One step into Fahima, transported me back to Asia. It’s a convenient store but with a personality: metro sexual. The sleek black walls, designer icons, and handsomely wrapped packages contrast greatly from your 7-11. If you like global soft drinks and Asian snacks, this is the place.

Food.
The steamed buns, fusion salads, sushi rolls delight the eyes. Served hot, steamed buns are a great comfort food. Soft dough outside contrast with a light savory meat such as chicken just warms the heart. Try it for yourself.
(side note: I studied in Taiwan on a study abroad cultural trip called “love boat,” I was a frequent visitor to Fahima type stores. I studied more about Taiwanese people -girls, buns (food type), and learned how to say “you’re so pretty.”)

Consultant hat.
Fahima targets a certain type. You won’t find your drunk food – no nachos or hot dogs. Targeting the growing health food market, you will find salads, sushi, and other health nut products. Convenient stores are basically a box. As the owner, you sell what the community demands. They don’t make their own products but instead act as distributor. At 7-11, they have lost leaders.

Lost leaders: items you use to draw customers into the store, the profit margin is not the main focus
(Lost leaders may include Lottery ticket service, ATM machines, cheap hot dog made from mystery meat)

Many immigrants decide to own 7-11 especially among the Indian community (watch Simpson’s on Fox) since it does not require the mastery of English. 7-11′s are also a turn key solution. 7-11 corporate will provide the essentials for even the non business type: marketing, inventory control, hiring protocols, insurance, labor laws, more..) Downside to owning a franchise: control and franchise fee.

Turn key: means put your dam key into the door, turn it, and start your business. Its prepackaged, kinda like a microwave enchilada.

I predict that Fahima will have a hard time scaling (growing business) to the Mid West since this caters a niche group.