OCNews

Three friends, a business idea and a pandemic: while that sounds like a difficult combination to launch a new venture, Okanagan College Business studies helped balance the equation for some newly minted Kelowna entrepreneurs.

Brothers Mohammed and Ammar Bin Halabi wanted to open a shawarma and donair restaurant, but their friend Maria Limas told them if they want to help their community, they should open a store that offered hard-to-come-by items instead.

The trio took over ownership of the In N’ Out convenience store at the Landmark District, bringing fresh ideas to what the store offered. Instead of the usual corner store fare, they brought in a mix of Arabic and Mediterranean pantry essentials, lunches, and treats.

Ammar said the store is doing much better than they thought it would given the circumstances. They started out with a small selection of products and some empty shelves, but a year later, the store is overflowing with a variety of products to the point that they’re now running out of shelf space.

“There were ups and downs because of the pandemic,” Limas said, “but in one year, we can say we’re doing OK. We’re surviving and that’s the important part for us.”

The trio grew up in families that owned businesses, so it was natural for them to take up Business courses in their post-secondary studies as well. Ammar and Mohammed were in the third year of their Business Administration studies when they took ownership of In N’ Out. The brothers decided to finish their degree, while Limas started her Post-Baccalaureate studies in Human Resources Management at the College as well.

Limas said time management has been essential as they all balanced work, school and life. They staggered their schedules so one of them is at the store while the others attend classes. Ammar added that digital learning has expanded their access to courses.

“With online and hybrid classes, I have free time in the morning to work at the store and when I come home, I can do my classwork online,” he said. Through the hybrid model, Limas was able to take different business courses usually offered at other OC campuses, attending lectures and participating online from the comfort of home.

Ammar and Limas said operating a store and studying at the College gave them concrete examples to help with their learning as concepts they encountered in classes directly applied to their actual business.

“We have a vision and we know how to do that now because of what we’ve learned,” Limas explained. “From school we got the knowledge, but now we’re doing the actual practical stuff at our store.”

Now, Ammar and Limas are both encouraging others who have a similar idea or dream to go and follow it, no matter how daunting it may seem.

“If you have a dream, you have to go for it,” Ammar said. “Don’t let other people stop you or change your mind. Trust yourself and go for it.”

Limas said that any idea can be an opportunity to make into a business, as long as you’re ready to do the work. She added that you don’t need to have the diploma or degree yet to get your business off the ground: as long as you have the motivation, you can make it work.

“In the beginning, you won’t get the result you wish for, but you’ll get there in time,” she said. “When we see the happiness of our customers and see how they appreciate what we do for them, we feel satisfied and grateful and we want to keep going.”

In N’ Out Market is located at B3-1620 Dickson Ave. in Kelowna. Find out more about the grocery store through their social media and OC School of Business programs at www.okanagan.bc.ca/business.