“I was surprised because it was sort of like a shack, two guys working out of there, and the line was literally wrapped around two blocks,” Ahmed said. “Just to see how successful that small business was [has] always stuck in my head.”
Burgers fill out the bulk of the menu at Fanoosh, but Ahmed said biryani—a seasoned rice dish and featured menu item—is a staple in the Asian community like burgers are a staple in Western culture.
“The idea was to bring a product to the community that they are used to but bring it at a quality and an environment where it’s very fast-casual,” he said.
Ahmed grew up enjoying his mother’s biryani and has always wanted commercializing her recipe.
“In the Sugar Land area there’s a very high population in the Asian community,” he said. “Our biryani—the way my mom makes it and the village we’re from is very unique.”
Ahmed lived in Dubai until he was about 10 years old and has lived in Fort Bend County ever since.
Unique burger options at Fanoosh are the Philly Cheese with beef, rib eye steak, bell peppers, grilled onions and cheese, and the Rancor with beef, onion rings, beef bacon, caramelized onions and chili ranch.
Fanoosh opened in March, and Ahmed oversees three employees. He has a background in logistics and distribution operations as well as experience in the restaurant industry, he said.
“I take what I learned, which is continuous improvement and efficiency in operation, and implement that in our kitchen,” he said.
Ahmed said he would like to expand on serving his food as well as possibly franchising locations.
“The local community knows us, and we still have new faces come in that learn that we’re here,” he said.
Fanoosh Burgers & Bites
1226 Museum Square Drive, Ste. 100, Suar Land
281-201-2067
www.fanooshbnb.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. noon-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. 4-9 p.m., closed Mondays
