For much of his life, Tony Lutfi has had the goal of owning 50 restaurants before turning 50 years old. He was recently on the cover of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine with the headline: Mega 99: Tony Lutfi soars from 52 to 134 units in three years.

Far surpassing his goals, Lutfi, whose corporate headquarters are in the Pocket area, is among the top 55 multi-unit franchises in the nation.

Born in 1960 in Amman Jordan as the youngest child for a refugee Palestinian family who then lived in Jordan, Lutfi immigrated to the United States in 1976 with hopes to pursue higher education in the medical field. He attended high school in Lodi and graduated in 1977, then quickly moved to Stockton and attended Delta College while sharing an apartment with his cousin.

“I did not want to be a burden to my family that struggled financially and I knew that I needed to work and make it on my own at age 16,” he said. He worked at a 7-11 for a short period of time and then was offered a position with Jack in the Box for the graveyard shift, which worked out well allowing me to attend classes in the day and work at night.

Life quickly took its course. Lutfi quit college and decided to accept a shift manager position with Jack in the Box. In 1980, the rest of his family immigrated to the U.S. and they decided to purchase a corner grocery store in Stockton. He quit his position with Jack in the Box and worked for the family business for two years while his family became more accustomed to the life style and learned English.

In 1993, Lutfi applied to work for a franchise and was given an opportunity with Rax Roast Beef as an assistant manager making $925 per month.

In 1984 Lutfi married to Anna, whom I dated for five years. He did not want to pay rent for a home and decided to purchase his first home by borrowing money on credit cards.

“I knew that I will work hard to pay the cards off and hoped that I will build enough equity in my home to use it later to buy a business. Life took its course again and our first son was born in 1985 and the second in 1987. I was right with my first investment, the house appreciated in value and the credit cards were paid off,” Lutfi said.

In 1988, he attempted to buy four restaurants from his employer, but lost the opportunity to another company who purchased the entire company and agreed to employ him.

A few years later, the president of the company decided to start a new company and asked him to be a partner operator. They purchased four Church’s Chicken restaurants in Sacramento and partnered up with a local Pocket area dentist, Greg Maroni DDS.

They remodeled the restaurants and started the company while he continued his employment with company. In 1998, Maroni and he decided to purchase the entire company and committed to a partnership.

“My goal has always been to own 50 restaurants before I turned 50. Time was running out as I turned 38 and had only a total of 11 which included three Long John Silver’s in the Bay Area, four Church’s Chicken in Sacramento and four Arby’s in Sacramento, Modesto and Tracy.

Maroni had two Arby’s, which he owned since the late 80’s in Auburn and Grass Valley.

They agreed to form a partnership and operate the 13 units.

They opened four restaurants between 1998 and 2000, one was Arby’s in the Pocket area Promenade Shopping Center. They either sold or closed all four locations within two years and decided that the only way they can grow is by way of acquisition minimizing risk.

In 2001 just before Sept. 11, they agreed to acquire four Church’s Chicken restaurants in Las Vegas. They took over the operations on Oct. 22.

“Naturally, the world changed after Sept. 11, especially in Las Vegas. Tourism came to quick halt and businesses suffered including our new acquired restaurants. I remember driving to Las Vegas weekly and working in the restaurants just to save labor and try to save the business. Luckily, we had great managers that maintained and quickly rebounded by 2003,” Lutfi said.

They paid off the loan for the Las Vegas stores in 2006 and began a journey of growth.

In 2006, they acquired 11 Church’s Chicken in Stockton and Tucson.

In 2007, they acquired 15 Church’s Chicken in Phoenix and opened their first Little Caesars Restaurant in Orangevale.

In 2008, they acquired 11 Church’s Chicken restaurants and opened their second little Caesars Restaurant in Carmichael.

In 2009, they opened another Little Caesars restaurant and a Church’s Chicken in Las Vegas

In 2010, Lutfi acquired 21 Jack in the Box restaurants in Modesto, Los Banos, Oroville, Marysville, Placerville and Sacramento.

In 2011, Lutfi acquired 14 Sears Hardware stores in Houston and St. Louis, and Sears Appliance Showrooms in Dallas and St. Louis, but also opened two restaurants, one in Galt and another in Las Vegas. Lutfi also acquired five Sizzlers in Auburn, Sacramento and the Bay Area.

In 2012, Lutfi opened another restaurant in Las Vegas and another in North Highlands and added a Sears location in Chino, Calif.

Lutfi and Maroni closed last year with their largest acquisition to date, 42 Arby’s restaurants in Oregon and Washington.

Today, Lutfi operates the following: five Sizzler restaurants, 21 Jack in the Box, eight Sears Appliance Showrooms, and six Sears Appliance & Hardware Stores.

With Maroni, Lutfi owns five Little Caesars, 43 Arby’s, 46 Church’s Chicken,

Lutfi and Maroni also offer management and consulting services to several organizations in Texas and California who operate 117 restaurants of various brands.

Lutfi is still married to the love of his life who worked with him years ago at the Jack in the Box. They were married in 1984 and had three boys, Metri 27, in the business operating the Jack in the Box Company and attended Fresno State, Stephen 25, a graduate from Fresno State as a civil Engineer; he also joined our company a few weeks ago and is currently our analyst; and Ramsey 20, in his third year at Fresno State pursuing his degree in Business.

Although the business has grown to near 150 in seven states, Lutfi says they remain a family business with several of the family leading and serving the business. Starting with my nephew Nader who has been an integral part of our continued growth and many others including Dr. Maroni who has remained committed for the entire ride.

Pocket area resident and attorney Shane Singh has been representing the MarLu Investment Group for over 11 years and handles a majority of their legal work.

The MarLu Investment Group office is in the Pocket area, 1531 Corporate Way.

In the late 1940’s and early 50’s high school baseball in Sacramento was at its zenith. McClatchy, Sacramento, and Christian Brothers all had outstanding teams and talent. Roger Osenbaugh and Jim Westlake of CKM signed pro contracts after the 1948 season followed by Woody Held (Sac), Richie Meyers (Elk Grove), Tony Stathos (CKM), John McNamara (CBS), and Harry Dunlap (Sac). Sacramento Junior College combined the city’s best baseball players to go for the state title for three straight years from, 51 to 53, winning the state title in 51 and 53 at the Edmonds Field.

Possibly the greatest high school baseball teams to ever play in Sacramento were the McClatchy teams of 1951 and 52. The 51 team won 22 without a loss and the section title, and the 52 team followed with 18 more wins before losing to CBS after McClatchy’s win streak reached 40 games.

With a McClatchy Athletic Hall of Fame starting this fall after 75 years, these two teams and their players were picked as one of the three greatest teams in McClatchy’s first 25 years. They will be honored on September 20, with a dinner at the Elk’s Club and on the 21st at half time of the McClatchy football game.

Led by the Rose brothers Earl (51) and Ralph (53), Peter Stathos (52), and Dick Traversi (52), six Lions made all-city in 51 and five made the all-city team in 52. Chris Chrstian, JC Masters, and Ralph Rose were the pitchers with Earl used in relief. Traversi played first, Stathos, second, and Earl Rose played in the outfield.

McClatchy hit .309 as a team with Earl Rose setting a school record getting 49 hits in 94 at bats for a .521 average. This record has never been broken. Junior Peter Stathos also broke the school record hitting .512. He had 42 hits and drove in 28 runs. Traversi was a unanimous choice for All City getting 28 hits and being an excellent glove man at first base. Traversi would go on in his senior year to lead the city in scoring for the McClatchy basketball team.
The pitching staff was led by seniors’ Chris Christian and JC Masters. Christian had eight wins and Masters had six. Bob Jones was the catcher and made all-city. Outfielder Jerry Pesavento and shortstop Bob Ayres made honorable mention.

McClatchy started the season with wins over Willows, San Juan, and Grass Valley. They reached nine straight when they beat Grant 11-2 and came closest to their only loss when their game with CBS was called for darkness after eight innings with the score 11 to 11. McClatchy had led 9-0 but four errors allowed the Pete Mikichich led CBS to tie the score and send it to extra innings.

Chris Christian next threw a one-hitter at Sac and the Lions won easily 11-2. Masters came back to beat the Dragons for their 15th straight 6-3. The Lions had to come from behind in this one as the Dragons scored two in the first. Stathos drove in two runs in the second and Ayres tripled home Masters to put the Lions ahead for good. Ralph Rose then threw a two-hitter to beat St Mary’s for their 16th straight. McClatchy beat Woodland 8-2 and came back for a close 6-5 win over Sacramento for their 22nd and final win of the season.

Coach Cliff Perry commented that, “This was the best team I have ever coached. Earl Rose was obviously the top senior with his .521 average, but seniors JC Masters, Chris Christian, Bob Jones, Dave Thomas (21 steals) , and Jerry Pesavento will be tough to replace.”

The 1952 season started up right where it left off with Ralph Rose, Roger Herscowitz, Don Deary, and Mike Toomey being the main pitchers. Sophomore Bill Werry handled the catching., Traversi played first, Stathos, second, Bob Ayres, short, and Bruce Parsons/ Hui Jackson third. Rose, Gene Huyrch, Jan Aitken, and Parsons were in the outfield.

All-city performers included: Aitken, Ayres, Stathos, Traversi, and Werry in the Sacramento Bee, and Aitken, Rose, Stathos, Traversi, and the Sacramento Union. Huyrch and Ayres made honorable mention. Peter Stathos led the team in hitting with a .438 average, Traversi hit .417 and Rose was .407. Werry .417 and Huyrch each hit four triples and Huyrch had six home runs. Stathos was chosen to play in the East-West All Star game in Oakland after the season.

The Lions started the 52 season fast with eighteen straight wins before falling for the first time at the end of the season They did win the city championship for the third straight year. Highlights included a 21-2 win over Rio Vista, 29-1 win over Turlock and their 35th straight win a 9-2 victory over St Mary’s of Stockton.

The streak finally came to an end in May when Dave Higgins (all-city) from Christian Brothers beat the Lions 11-4. McClatchy was never in the game as Higgins pitched six shutout innings before McClatchy scored twice in the 7th and 8th.
When asked about the McClatchy 51-52 baseball teams that won 40 straight games, Stathos commented, “We had a great coach, Cliff Perry, and great players, Traversi, Aitken, Ayres, and the Rose brothers. We had great pitching, JC and Chris in 51 and Ralph Rose, Herscowitz, and Deary, in 52. Werry and Hurych came out of nowhere to really help us in 52. Forty straight wins. Wow, nobody will ever do that again.”

This is the first in a series of articles as part of the McClatchy 75th year celebration, and the institution of a McClatchy Sports Hall of Fame. A banquet will be held on Sept. 20, at the Elks Clubs honoring 50 individuals and five teams from the first 25 years (1938-1962). All McClatchy graduates and family are invited to participate. For information: go to RestoretheRoar.org or contact Jim Coombs at (916) 422-9082 or Bob Sertih at (916) 441-0657.

As Sacramento once again prepares to come alive with a variety of activities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, one local organization believes in making the celebration of Irish heritage and traditions a yearlong activity.

This organization, The Shamrock Club of Sacramento, is dedicated to its mission of “fostering and preserving the traditions of Ireland for the people of the greater Sacramento region.”

The club is also very well connected with the Arden, Carmichael and Land Park areas of Sacramento, explained Chris Brown, a South Land Park resident, who grew up within a lion’s roar of the Sacramento Zoo.

“We have about 15 members from the Arden and Carmichael areas and about a dozen more from the Land Park area,” Brown said. “Our many valued members span from Grass Valley to Lodi and areas throughout Sacramento. We couldn’t expand our club into the future without our founding and new members. But we also have plenty of room for more members who have interests in things Irish.”

Shamrock Club member Jane Lamborn, a 25-year resident of Carmichael, said that the club is a very enjoyable and educational organization.

“I joined the club three or four years ago and it’s just a lot of fun,” Lamborn said. “It’s a great group of people. They have that quick wit when you’re with the group and they’re friendly and open and welcoming. They promote Irish culture and Irish history, so you get a chance to learn about it, to enjoy it and they’re just a great group of people.”

Lamborn added that much of her interest in the club derived from the fact that her mother is half-Irish and her stepfather is 100 percent Irish and that she enjoys learning about Irish music and dance.

“They (her mother and stepfather) traveled extensively in Ireland, they lived there for a short period of time and growing up with her, I really learned about Ireland and that background,” Lamborn said. “I discovered the club when I went to the Scottish games in Woodland and they were there with some of their members playing music and I stopped to listen to the music and learned about the club. A lot of the enjoyment in learning (through the club) is with music and dance, so you’ve got bagpipes, fiddles, flutes, drums and they really promote music, which I particularly enjoy and that caught my attention.”

 

Putting on the parade

As the capital city’s only Irish club, the Shamrock Club is presently working with the Old Sacramento Business Association to bring the city’s 14th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade to Old Sacramento on Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m. Other sponsors of the event are the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, Fanny Ann’s Saloon and radio station, Mix 96.

The family-friendly event, which was designed to celebrate the diversity and richness of the community, will feature Irish dancers, costumed marchers, floats, military regiments, school bands, police and fire representatives and various cultural organizations.

Participants in this year’s parade will include the White Hackle Pipe Band, the Sacramento Fire Department Pipes and Drums corps, the Ophir Prison Marching Band, Irish dancers in Celtic costumes, tartan-clad Highlanders and Gold Rush re-enactors.

The Shamrock Club, which selected Kitty O’Neal of radio station KFBK 1530 AM as the parade’s grand marshal, encourages parade participants to “Go Green by Wearing Green.”

Lamborn said that the parade is a fun celebration of Irish history and culture.

“It’s a chance to experience Irish music and dance, to see the people in the community who participate in those activities and to learn a little bit about it,” Lamborn said.

Additional information about the parade can be obtained by calling the Old Sacramento Business Association at (916) 442-7644.

 

 

Hearts in Ireland

Emphasizing that Irish heritage is mostly recognized one day per year in the United States, Shamrock Club Vice President CJ Kennedy said, “Everybody wants to turn Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but we’re active preserving the heritage of Ireland the whole year round.”

Kennedy, who comes from both Irish and Scottish heritage and is very knowledgeable about Irish history, added that although the club takes its position as an Irish heritage preservation group seriously, its members never forget that they belong to a social club.

“We want to be known as a well-known, nonpolitical and nonreligious club in Sacramento and the Northern California region that is serious about Irish heritage, but we also want to just kick up our heals and have a good time, too.”

In addition to meeting on the second Wednesday of every month, the group also makes sure to work the attendance of live performances of Irish music and various Irish-related field trips into its schedule.

Activities of the club have included social nights at de Vere’s, the Fox and Goose and the Streets of London pubs in Sacramento, an annual Christmas party and a trip to the United Irish Cultural Museum in San Francisco.

Upcoming club events will include Celtic Heritage Night at the Sacramento River Cats game on July 1 and a “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” party in September.

The organization, which has met in Sacramento at SMUD and de Vere’s Irish Pub, began in 2005 through the efforts of its founder Chris Brown and about 15 other founding members.

Brown, who is serving in his fifth term as the club’s president, said that his idea to establish the club derived from his love for his own Irish heritage and the fact that Sacramento was without an Irish club.

“There was an Irish club in Sacramento that failed and there was a point in time that there was no Irish club (in Sacramento),” said Brown, who is a member of fourth and fifth generation Irish families in Sacramento. “So, we founded the Shamrock Club in late 2005 and built it from the ground up.”

 

Historic and honored

Unlike many Irish clubs, which were established in and around the political difficulties in Ireland, the Sacramento club, Brown explained, took a different route in its formation.

“A lot of the Irish clubs 10 to 15 years ago were sort of formed (in connection) to the troubles in Ireland,” Brown said. “We’re just not fostering any of that political stuff and in essence, Ireland is at peace right now and it’s doing well with peace.”

Sacramento’s Shamrock Club, which is affiliated with about seven Shamrock Clubs throughout the nation, patterned itself after The Shamrock Club of Columbus, Ohio.

And because of its growth, Sacramento’s club, which consists of about 100 members, reached a level and ability to assist a group in New Jersey in its efforts to form a Shamrock Club.

Brown, who graduated from Bishop Armstrong High School in 1965, said that the Sacramento club is on a course to grow extensively during the next two years.

“We have survived the test of time and we’re into our sixth year and we have been continually growing,” Brown said. “We’re gathering more and more kindred spirits, but not just kindred spirits, but people who are willing to take an active part in ensuring the longevity and the expansion of the Shamrock Club.”

Brown said that 80 percent of Sacramento’s Shamrock Club members are of Irish heritage and the remaining 20 percent of the club members “just enjoy things Celtic and want to be a part of the group.”

“It’s just a fun group of people,” Brown added.

For more information regarding The Shamrock Club of Sacramento, including how to become a member, call Brown at (916) 447-6511 or visit the Web site www.shamrocksac.com.

 

E-mail Lance Armstrong at lance@valcomnews.com.