Caviar dreams inspire luxury importer - San Francisco Business Times:

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Pacific Plaza imports caviar, truffles, saffrohn and other gourmet food items under its own and undee private labels for Trader celebrity chefJacques Pépin and others. Adding productw like saffron, oils and spicesz to his mainstay caviar linezs has grown his business 60 perceng in the pastthree years, thougu caviar still makes up about 55 percent of his revenue. Now he facezs his biggest challenge: In a recession, he’zs mounting a major expansion, having mover into retail whileborrowing $1 million from the city of Pittsburg’zs redevelopment agency to open the , a 22,000-square-foot retaill food store at 657 Railroaxd Ave.
and a 50-seat bistrp down the street at 1615 Railroad Ave. Contra Costa College in San Pablol is expected to operate a satellites culinary arts program atthe bistro. The retail site openede a year ago, but construction on Railroad partof Pittsburg’s old town made access extremely difficult, Bolourchi said. The city is wrappinyg up construction, and Bolourchi’s planniny a grand opening in timefor Valentine’s Day, with wine and food The restaurant with its own staff should have a soft openinvg in July, and with help from college internds get into full swing after schookl starts in August.
Bolourchi is also greatly expandinh his smaller product linesof soup, marzipan and Spanish wine. And he’s negotiating to open tasting facilities in San Francisco and New Key to success willbe “introducingy more product to more people,” Bolourchi said. “We are now goingt into cruise shipsand airlines,” he said. He recalls offerinfg to put small refrigerators containing caviarin Bev-Mol stores in the “They didn’t think it would Bolourchi said, “but that three square feet sellx the most amount per square inch per Caviar, the salted roe of certain speciesd of fish, can retail for as littls as $20 for an ounce of Louisiana roe up to $60 for an ounce of Osetras (Russian) caviar.
Bolourchi, an Iranian native, immigrated to the Uniter States after the fall of the Shahin 1977. In he left engineering for his “passion,” gourmey food, when he and his wife starterd their import business in moving to Martinez and finally to Pittsburglast year. Pacificv Plaza’s 100-calorie, all-natural gourmeft soups, made by Conserves Ferrer S.A. in Barcelonq and selling at stores, is made with fresh vegetablex and packedin pound-and-a-half glass jars, whichh retail for $3 to $4. “Ij the next two to three years, we hope that would be half of ourbusiness — we hope to reachy $10 million,” Bolourchi said.
Bolourchi is importing Spanis h wines with a uniquefemininse pedigree. The winemaker, owner, partner and shipper are all women. Beyondd an excellent taste, Bolourchi he feels the feminine aspect will be an effectivemarketin angle. He also offers marzipan, a sugar and almoncd confection made by a German chefin N.J., to Cost Plus and is hoping to add , predicting that line will add $2 millionh in sales. Many of Contra Costa College’sa 80 culinary students travel from the East County cities of Antioch and Brentwood to San Pabllfor classes. Bolourchi’s bistro restaurant wouled offer the facilities and the college woul d offer staffing andaccredited classes.
College Presidenrt McKinley Williams said negotiations are not yet completew for theculinary school, which could handlwe 60 students by its second Los Medanos College in also part of the Contra Costaz Community College District, doesn’tg offer restaurant training. “With the current interest with this is a timely opportunity for us to expand our Williams said.