Debbie Roxarzade named her restaurant after her daughter, but her business is no small, family affair. She sees beyond Southern Nevada. The founder, CEO and restaurateur of Rachel’s Kitchen, who opened with one location here in 2006, has expanded to eight in the years since and has plans to grow regionally and, eventually, nationally. “We are targeting the Reno, Salt Lake City and Phoenix markets as they each have a similar feel and demographic as Las Vegas,” Roxarzade said.
You’re a transplant from California. What brought you to Las Vegas?
While California will always be a home to me, I was ready for a change. After becoming a mother, I wanted a different city to raise my family in — something a little quieter and more relaxed. At the time, I also wanted to continue my career, and Las Vegas was set to become the new culinary capital, so it just made sense to make the move here.
We love Las Vegas and it’s been a wonderful home to grow both personally and professionally.
When did you know you wanted to work in restaurants?
I’ve always had a passion for food and knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. When I was old enough, I had the opportunity to open my own small coffee shop. I went on to open seven different concepts in Los Angeles before opening Rachel’s Kitchen in Las Vegas. Throughout my career, I’ve learned from experience and have worn many different hats.
Who is your greatest culinary influence?
Nancy Silverton from La Brea Bakery. She’s known for popularizing sourdough and artisan breads in the United States, among other accolades. She is highly regarded, has won numerous awards, including a James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award, and is an inspiration to women in the industry.
Are you still active in your restaurants’ kitchens or focus on the business side?
I help with the initial development of recipes and I’m still active in ensuring consistent quality across all fronts, but my job as CEO brings me to focus more on the business aspects. With the franchise opportunity, eight locations and other aspects of the business, I definitely have my hands full in the office, but I take the time to visit the restaurants when I can.
How do you set yourself apart from competitors who have jumped on the wholesome food scene?
We have never been one to follow the trend. We didn’t jump on the wholesome bandwagon; it’s something we have always been. We use as many local ingredients as we can, we provide a variety of wholesome, healthy dishes, as well as more indulgent recipes, and we have an extensive community partners program. Everything we do redefines what it means to be a local restaurant. It’s in our DNA and will be in every restaurant we open in every market.
Describe your management style.
Overall, I’m hands-on as much as I can be, but I also try to enable my team to take initiative and give them a sense of ownership and responsibility to grow and develop their team. I’m here to give them support, but I want to encourage them to treat their restaurant as their own, building and growing their team and customer base, and managing the business aspects. While I believe in allowing them the room to develop take ownership, I always have an open-door policy.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
Have a clear idea of what you want to do and how you want to tackle it, but be open to advice others offer you. Be flexible with your schedule and know that problems and unexpected tasks will come up. Surround yourself with hardworking, like-minded individuals and lean on them for support. Work hard, be kind, be ethical and know when to celebrate your accomplishments and when to push harder.
If you could have dinner with any three people — alive or dead — who would they be?
The first would be Tory Burch. I admire her for the way she has developed her brand, and for her efforts with the Tory Burch Foundation, which she created to help women entrepreneurs. I do what I can to give back to my community and I admire and appreciate her initiatives to give back. Next is Steve Jobs. He’s one of the most successful businessmen in the world and I’d love to pick his brain for any business advice. Finally, I would love to have dinner with Oprah Winfrey. She’s seen many hardships and much success and I’d love to learn from her.
What is your dream job outside of your current field?
I think I would be an architect or an interior designer.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
Paris or some other place in Europe. It’s magical there.