Farmer Boys® Restaurants were founded in 1981 in Perris, California, by the five brothers and the first restaurant opened its doors with an over-sized hamburger and their original recipes for fried zucchini, onion rings, chili and more.
Their concept of serving farm-fresh food in generous portions quickly gained them an ardent following. Their expansion really took off when the Havadjias family sold their first franchise in 1998. They currently have more than 90 locations.
Growing up on the island of Cyprus, the brothers worked on the family farm and in the family restaurant. When asked how they all manage to work together and get along, CEO, Makis Havadjias, states with a laugh, “a very strict father.” This family dynamic from early in their youth has certainly worked well as the brothers have expanded rapidly ever since that humble beginning.
“There are two axioms in life. Axiom one, you have to work for your life,” he said. “In axiom two, you have to choose someone to work with in your life—and we have chosen to work with each other.”
Their mission was to “make it right, make it fast, make it friendly.” They also adopted the Greek word “Philoxenia” as their mantra, which translates to “friend to the stranger.” It’s their way of making sure that every guest is treated with hospitality when they’re away from home. Each restaurant also has a bell for customers to ring when they’ve experienced great service, food and friendship. The bell rings loudly and often.
Today, Farmer Boys® Restaurants is a bustling chain with its’ headquarters in Riverside, California. With locations in Southern California, Central California, the Inland Empire and Las Vegas, Nevada, they’re poised to continue to grow rapidly toward their goal of conquering the entire west. Their dedicated following of rabid fans can’t get enough of their Farmer’s Burgers, specialty sandwiches and farm-fresh breakfast.
“We’re in a growth mode,” Havadjias said. “It’s been challenging with COVID, but somehow, someday things will get back to normal and it has not affected our growth plans. History has shown that when there’s a downturn in the economy, franchisees show up. We want to double the size of the company in five years. That’s our goal.”
The Farmer Boy restaurants have been a long-standing customer of California Bank & Trust. There are more than 90 Farmer Boys restaurants in operation including corporate-owned/operated locations as well as those operating under franchise agreements.
Faced with the challenges of the pandemic, the bank assisted Farmer Boys in applying for the PPP program which resulted in financial assistance to help them weather the storm.
“Chris (Edmonds) from CB&T called me personally very early on in the process," Havadjias said.
"He said the bank was here to help us. That was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day indeed."
Thanks to their ever-expanding franchise operation, the Farmer Boys family of restaurants continues to grow. Makis and his brothers work together to expand their empire and build on its astounding success.