Schmidt franchisee starts business after home makeover

After falling in love with his home’s Schmidt Kitchen, one plucky entrepreneur chose to start his very own franchise.

Tony Nakhoul’s home renovations had a much bigger impact on his life than he could’ve ever imagined. The entrepreneur hails from Beirut and has enjoyed a varied career as everything from a City banker to a Lebanese restaurant owner.

After his wife chose Schmidt for their home’s kitchen makeover, Tony was so bowled over by the quality of the product that he decided the kitchen franchise held the keys to his next career move. Now, as the owner of Schmidt Ruislip, Tony has risen through the franchisee ranks to become its number one showroom by sales volume.

“I’m proud I’ve learned this business very quickly and become number one. I can’t tell whether I’m a lucky person or have just managed my company properly,” joked Tony.

“On day one we had a sale, and clients. We never had a failure from the day we opened. I’m the top showroom in the UK after three years and managed to overtake many others who had been trading for longer.”

Reflecting on his journey, Tony believes that one key factor has helped him achieve so much in a relatively short amount of time.

“It’s all about passion. If you don’t love the product, you can’t sell it. I live with the product in my home so when I talk to my clients about their kitchen, I’m speaking from the heart. I’m also very fussy about the details, with my staff and the customer service they provide.”

Tony praised the quality and thoroughness of the training offered by Schmidt and said:

“They teach you everything and hold your hand. If you follow the formula, you will be successful. And why wouldn’t you? The company’s been in the market for more than 80 years so it would be silly not to.”

If you’d like to find out more about opening your very own Schmidt Kitchen showroom, head to its profile page to discover everything you need to know.