Amad and Raad Attisha: New Horizons for C-Store Pros

Expanding from convenience stores into the grocery business seemed like a natural progression for the Attisha brothers, if a bit intimidating. But the Attisha family doesn’t intimidate easily—and they also had Save-A-Lot’s resources for support.

Brothers Amad and Raad Attisha were just children in 1976 when their family left Iraq for a new and uncertain life in the United States. Their monetary resources were small, their education was basic. But father Yelda, mother Mary, daughter Buthaina, and sons Steve, Amad, Ayad, Raad, Mark and Sam dove headlong into their pursuit of the American Dream. The tight-knit family worked hard at odd jobs, shared living quarters and pooled their savings. Four years later, they bought the small, shuttered convenience store on 12th and G Streets in downtown San Diego that launched the family business.

Within six years, the Attishas began operating convenience stores with the franchise model. As the business grew, the siblings branched out on their own paths and today, Amad and Raad Attisha own San Diego-based Venture Petroleum Co. Inc. Their 73 gas station/convenience stores stretch from Orange County to the Mexican border, employing more than 300 people. “Our success would not be possible without the love and support we have received from our family,” says Raad Attisha.

Bigger plans

But the Attisha brothers are always on the lookout for good business opportunities. So when they heard about Save-A-Lot from a friend, they decided to take the leap and purchased the La Mesa Save-A-Lot store in January 2013.

“We were a bit intimidated and apprehensive at first,” says Amad Attisha. “These are big box stores of 15,000 to 20,000 square feet, with a whole variety of items. We come from a background of stores that are 2,500 square feet.

“But we found out, lo and behold, that Save-A-Lot was a lot like our franchise model,” he adds. “They do all the logistics, negotiate with vendors, analyze what to bring into the market, and we like that. We wanted to start slow, but when we bought the first store, we realized it was just as turnkey as our other operations but on a bigger scale. Once we got our feet wet, within three months we were looking for another opportunity.”

A second San Diego store was scheduled to finish construction and open in late August or September, says Amad Attisha, and the brothers are under contract to buy a third store in El Cajon. In addition, they may add as many as two more stores in the next five years, he says.

Operating Save-A-Lot stores gives the brothers the best of both worlds, they say: A brand that consumers know offers value for their customers, and their own knowledge of the area provides them with a competitive edge.

Learning the ropes

Running large supermarket format stores has been a learning experience, say the brothers, but one that’s been eased by the support they receive as part of the Save-A-Lot business model.

“We have a lot of experience managing people,” says Raad Attisha, “but we didn’t have the experience of managing a store on a bigger scale. Save-A-Lot has that expertise and knowledge. They have the right kind of products, the right kind of promotions, the right kind of pricing. We are very competitive with the Walmarts and the supermarkets.”

The Attishas employ 15 people at their La Mesa store, he says, and expect to employ 20 at the new San Diego store.

Sales success

The Attishas’ jump from convenience stores to supermarkets has been a profitable one so far: The brothers saw sales at their first store rise by 25 percent in only three months.

“When we took over the store, we looked at the demographics,” says Raad Attisha. “We saw what weaknesses were in the previous operation, and we took those weaknesses out. We increased produce offerings and added more Hispanic products, and that’s how we increased sales.”

“The Save-A-Lot brand competes head on against any discount marketer,” adds Amad Attisha. “We believe that puts us and specifically Save-A-Lot in a very unique situation to be successful.”