{"id":11917,"date":"2013-10-07T16:20:36","date_gmt":"2013-10-07T20:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/news\/article.php?ArticleID=11917"},"modified":"2013-10-07T16:20:36","modified_gmt":"2013-10-07T20:20:36","slug":"11917_arzu-07-gonca-08-esendemir-all-in-the-flatbread-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/entrepreneur\/2013\/10\/07\/11917_arzu-07-gonca-08-esendemir-all-in-the-flatbread-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Arzu ’07"},"content":{"rendered":"

As any restaurant owner knows, you don\u2019t just work at your establishment. You live there. You sacrifice sleep, time, money and energy to build and maintain a successful business. It\u2019s all worth it when the restaurant is up and running, bringing its owner\u2019s vision to life.<\/p>\n

The Esendemir sisters, Fusun, Gonca ’08 and Arzu ’07, live the restaurant life. Gonca and Arzu both attended Montclair State University; an experience they say was instrumental to their entrepreneurial careers. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were familiar with this area because of Montclair State,\u201d said Gonca, a filmmaking major.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose Montclair State because of its overall value,\u201d Arzu said. She was a Finance and Management major. \u201cI considered Wall Street,\u201d she continued. The courses she took in her program proved to be beneficial to her later on when she started making business decisions for the Flatbread Grill. \u201cThey helped me gain an understanding of the business world. I feel a sense of empowerment and can hold my own in business conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their sense of empowerment has served the sisters in the often-hostile world of entrepreneurship. They described some of the prejudices they faced when dealing with contractors and suppliers, like remarks about how long the Flatbread Grill would stay in business and questions asking if they worked for their father or another male manager. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe naysayers only encouraged us to work harder,\u201d Arzu said. The sisters created their brand identity without help from an outside agency. \u201cWe don\u2019t outsource anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonca began her Montclair State career as an English major, but then switched to Filmmaking. It was a fairly new program at the time, with laid-back professors who \u201cdid all they could,\u201d she said. She liked the relaxed nature of the department because it was unlike other art schools, where \u201cthere\u2019s lots of pressure to be an artist.\u201d While she was a student, Gonca worked in New York City, and then became involved with the Flatbread Grill during her final year. <\/p>\n

From there, the restaurant took off. The sisters have a small staff and do all the baking themselves. \u201cThere are times I didn\u2019t get to sleep at all,\u201d Arzu said. The Flatbread Grill was a success in Montclair and the sisters plan to open a second location in Hoboken in 2014. <\/p>\n

The Esendemirs are going to come back to Montclair State University to speak to students at the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship about their journey with the Flatbread Grill. <\/p>\n

\u201cWeigh the pros and cons of your business plan,\u201d said Gonca, when asked what advice she would give to students considering starting businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to have security,\u201d Arzu added. \u201cYou can\u2019t leave your job without security. Cut down to part-time and do a lot of research. Find a mentor \u2013 that will help you avoid so many mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both commented on the importance of patience in the business world \u2013 the first two years are key to a new business, and owners rarely make money during that initial stage. Perseverance pays off, and the Esendemir family knows it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hardworking by default,\u201d Arzu said. \u201cThat\u2019s all we knew.\u201d  <\/p>\n

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