Brass Bear Deli Named Small Business of the Year

Consistency is the key to success, said Mehran Hamzeh, owner of the for the last 30 years with his wife, Sheida.

The Hamzehs' business in Alamo Plaza was recognized last week by Assembly member Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) as Small Business of the Year for the 15th California Assembly District.

“Mehran and Sheida Hamzeh are wonderful individuals and I am proud to honor them as the Small Business of the Year,” Buchanan said.

The award is a “great honor,” said Mehran Hamzeh, “especially when you consider that there are 3.5 million small businesses in California, and only 74 honorees.”

“I can’t ask for anything more.” 

Buchanan presented the award to the Hamzehs at a June 6 event hosted by the California Small Business Association coinciding with “California Small Business Day,” an annual observance that began in 2000.

According to the association, “small businesses account for nearly 90 percent of net new job creation in California, while accounting for 75 percent of the gross state product.”

“The importance of small businesses to California cannot be overstated,” it said. “California small businesses are the engine of our state’s economy.”

In recognizing the Hamzehs, Buchanan noted that during the last 30 years, and now with two locations (a Walnut Creek location opened in 2009), Brass Bear Delis have supported the local economy and given young people the opportunity to work and learn.

“It is important to recognize the Brass Bear’s continuous service to the young people in our community,” said Buchanan.

“Sheida and Mehran have given our youth a chance to work, learning responsibility and leadership,“ she continued. “They are incredible role models for our kids.”

Hamzeh estimated that more than 250 young adults have worked at Brass Bear Deli since it opened, and he has enjoyed watching them grow.

Melinda Walker, now a marketing and advertising consultant, had her first job at the Alamo deli in 1999 as a 16-year-old student.

Walker said she just wanted a summer job to pay for gas and excursions with friends, but stayed for three and a half years, through high school and part of college.

“It was the best first job, and at times I wish I still worked there,” she said.

She learned about great customer service, Walker said, and has applied that experience to customer service roles she has been in since.

Hamzeh said young people enjoy working for him because “I respect them and they respect me — I treat them like family.”

Walker agreed, and said she "always thinks back to (her) time at the deli." 

“The Hamzehs treated all of their workers as family and it was an incredible experience." 

Hamzeh also said his employees and customers know that he is interested in their activities and causes, and often contributes to their efforts.

When the community seeks support for sports teams, dance recitals and other activities, “they all come to me first,” he said.

Operating a small business for more than 30 years in fluctuating business conditions is no small feat.

In recent years, Hamzeh has seen a lot of tenant turnover in Alamo Plaza.

Hamzeh said his business has withstood economic ups and downs through hard work by his family and employees, which often requires 12-hour days, seven days a week. 

“People support me,” he said, because he has been “consistent” and has “concentrated” on the fundamentals of his business — always serving the best product possible, maintaining a clean store and keeping his standards high.

Assembly member Buchanan noted the impact and contributions the Hamzehs and their business have made in the local community in her presentation: “They are an important part of what makes the San Ramon Valley great.”