The son of Lebanese immigrants and founder of the Trios franchise, Elia, who was born and bred in Melbourne, began his business venture which would lead him to the franchise world at the age of 19, taking over a café called Double Jays in Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds in 1985.
“I know that historically there have been some negative incidents involving those from a Lebanese background, but it’s my heritage that has spurred me on and given me the drive to succeed,” he says.
“It’s sad when we only read about Lebanese in the newspapers when it involves a negative incident. I think it’s about time we hear something positive.”
Elia’s first self-managed café employed six staff, but this was only the beginning of the fast food franchise world for the then teenager, as he saved every cent he earned to put towards larger plans.
“By starting from humble beginnings I have learnt lessons about management that I would not have otherwise discovered,” he maintains.
Only a year after the café began to soar in popularity and together with his two brothers, he formed the Elia Group and ventured into property development.
“We began modestly with our first projects consisting of small townhouse blocks, but now we work on multi-million dollar jobs like the 16-apartment townhouse project in Essendon that is due for completion next year.”
After six years managing and operating his property development business, along with his café in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, the up-and-coming businessman noticed another opportunity during the rebirth of the city’s café society.
“I do remember the time when the latté came into fashion and casual dining really grew in popularity; I saw this opportunity and wanted to grab it with both hands,” he says.
In 1991 the 25 year-old started one of the first ‘retro’ cafés in Melbourne, offering locals a simple and comfortable dining experience.
“We helped to introduce the focaccia to Australian dining – our most popular items on the menu were our fresh sandwiches, blended juices and European-style coffees,” he recalls. “My aim was to provide customers with food that was easy to eat and quick to prepare, so diners could have a meal on-the-go or alternatively stay for longer if they chose.”
After 10 years operating his café restaurant in Melbourne’s inner city, Elia realised he had to change the way he approached the fast food industry, and after much research and product development, in December 2002, started the company Trios.
“It’s always important to be fully aware of consumer trends and changes in the marketplace. Both the food and property industries have experienced a great deal of transformation over a somewhat short period of time,” Elia says. “The establishment of Trios coincided with the boom in the healthy fast food industry and the trend is continuing to soar in popularity.”
Elia’s Lebanese heritage helped him to create the hero product of Trios stores, the Laffé Wrap, which is a sandwich wrap made fresh when ordered, with healthy gourmet fillings in a specially designed flat bread.
Elia also helped to develop Trios’ signature product, the Laffé bread, created with special ingredients to give it a great flavour without being too dense.
“I wanted a product that wasn’t as dense as other breads typically seen on supermarket shelves. The Laffé bread lends the focus of the wrap to the fillings and is low in fat and salt and high in fibre. It’s also available in three different styles – linseed, wholemeal and sourdough,” he says.
In just over two years Elia’s pet project, Trios, has grown to encompass 12 stores operating throughout Melbourne with a forecast of 50 by the end of 2006.
“I like the challenge of running a successful franchise. The Trios franchise has been well thought-out and established to develop a fresh and fun business that fills a need in the marketplace,” Elia, who now spends most of his time juggling between his property development business, four inner-city restaurants and bars and the restaurant franchise, says.
“My passion lies in business – I enjoy establishing plans and taking ideas from scratch and moulding them into successful business ventures. It’s important for all aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace their heritage and all that it has taught them, because life experience is one of the best tools for success.”
12-May-2006