American Dream Survives Pandemic, Thrives In Southern California

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — When Stan Singh arrived in the United States nearly 30 years ago, he was penniless and didn't speak a word of English. Today, he owns more than 25 fast-food restaurants and a 7-Eleven store in pricey Southern California.

Despite a pandemic that has toppled others in his industry, Singh's franchise empire continues to grow. He recently struck a development deal to open eight The Habit Burger Grill locations in Riverside County.

Speaking to him by phone this week, the 47-year-old Costa Mesa resident sounds high-energy and very busy. He rattles off his portfolio: five Habit Burger eateries in Southwest Riverside County; 20 Kentucky Fried Chicken locales across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — his most recent store opened in Irvine last month.

Singh's goal is to grow the Habit Burger business to 25-30 locations.

"I think we'll get there in the next five years," he said.

The "we" is a constant.

When Singh came to this country from his homeland of India in 1992 as an 18-year-old kid, his father was already stateside working very long hours at a 7-Eleven. After Singh got his English up to speed through a continuation high school, he too landed a job — as a cook at an Anaheim Hills KFC. The family pooled their resources, living together in a small apartment, and Singh eventually made his way through college, earning a bachelor's degree in business accounting from California State University, Fullerton.

Equipped with on-the-job experience and new business smarts, Singh and his dad put the family's modest savings to work in 1998 when they purchased their first venture: an underperforming 7-Eleven store at the corner of Wilson Street and Fairview Road in Costa Mesa, which the family still owns today.

"We got really lucky — we got it for a pretty good price, $50,000," Singh said. "We had saved every single penny to buy it."

Singh was just 24 — the youngest franchisee in 7-Eleven history, he said.

To ensure the store operated in the black, father and son were the only employees — working all of those 7-Eleven shifts themselves.

Itching to do more and loyal to the KFC brand — the company that gave him his U.S. start — in 2002 Singh opened his first finger-licking-good location in Orange County. More KFC ventures followed as the young businessman juggled fried chicken and a wife and kids that were the products of a marriage arranged by his parents.

The union means a new generation of Singhs will someday take over: two high-school-aged sons are already eyeing their dad's growing Habit Burger portfolio.

"They are really excited about it," Singh said.

The recent deal with parent-company Yum! Brands to open eight Habit Burgers was an opportunity that came to him, Singh said. KFC is also under the Yum umbrella, and a long track record as a successful operator apparently paid off.

"I think that's why they trusted me to do this," Singh speculated.

Pandemic-induced restaurant woes have largely bypassed Singh. The only rough patch lasted just a few days when the initial statewide shutdown was ordered last year. After drive-thru restaurants were allowed to reopen in the ensuing days, Singh's KFC locations boomed, he said.

"Last year was pretty good," he explained, noting that drive-thru is now "king" in the restaurant business.

Ironically, Yum Brands closed its $375-million purchase of Habit Burger on March 18, 2020 — within a day of California's stay-at-home order.

Singh's many long-term employees stuck with him through the pandemic, easing workforce shortage concerns.

"We pay our people well," he said.

Apparently, the American Dream is still alive.

"If you told me in 1992 or 1993 that I could have just one store," Singh said, "I would have jumped for joy."