An innovative businesswoman with an ambitious culinary passion, Debbie Roxarzade has been a leader in the restaurant industry for more than two decades. By Jessica Jones
An innovative businesswoman with an ambitious culinary passion, Debbie Roxarzade has been a leader in the restaurant industry for more than two decades. Earning a Master of Science degree in hospitality and tourism from San Diego State University, the talented restaurateur successfully launched a number of celebrated restaurant concepts, hitting it big with Debbie’s Bistro, which was once recognized as one of LA’s Big 10 Best New Restaurants by Los Angeles magazine.
Taking a guest-driven approach in all of her endeavors, Roxarzade owned seven successful eateries in the LA area before relocating to one of the newest culinary capitals of the world – Las Vegas.
“I couldn’t have picked a better location for my venture,” Roxarzade said, detailing the story of Rachel’s Kitchen, the fresh-casual concept she created in 2006.
Named after Roxarzade’s daughter, the quaint café was designed around a menu of delicious and reasonably priced bistro fare. The concept was simple: Serve fresh, high-quality and great-tasting food with a gourmet touch, at affordable prices.
Fifteen years later, that single location has blossomed to eight unique destinations around the Las Vegas Valley, including a coveted spot inside McCarran International Airport, where nearly 50 million visitors from all over the world are introduced to the brand every year.
“We grew and flourished quickly and started working on franchising in 2007 and had things in order in 2008, sold the first location in 2010,” Roxarzade said. “I felt like the brand was secure and the timing was right, but the country soon drifted into a recession, so it was a tough go.”
Rachel’s Kitchen persevered despite those challenges and has thrived in several different markets and environments. Challenged once again by the global pandemic in 2020, the brand sustained itself by offering farm and protein boxes – grocery options that helped combat the area’s lack of fresh food items.
“I was happy that we were able to reinvent,” Roxarzade said.
Popular with several different niche markets – sales have been successful with the college crowd as well as with local businesspeople, families, and women who lunch. Rachel’s Kitchen serves breakfast all day and offers fresh-chopped salads, gourmet sandwiches, and many types of wraps. Generous pasta entrees built around homemade Bolognese and pesto cream sauces round out the food offerings, and a variety of fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies and hot, iced or blended coffee complete the menu.
“I think what differentiates us from other fast-casual restaurants is that people can come to us multiple times a week because our menu is so diverse,” noted Roxarzade. “Our menu ranges from healthy to indulgent and boasts a wide variety of foods. Our goal is to please a lot of different palates and become a ‘go-to’ dining destination for our customers. Guests can pop in one day for a tuna sandwich and return the next day for a hearty plate of pasta. The food is fresh and delicious, and there are plenty of options.”
And Roxarzade runs the company seamlessly. Recognized by several publications for her business acumen – she has been the recipient of the Las Vegas Business Press’ Women Who Mean Business Award and named one of the Women to Watch by Nevada Business Magazine – Roxarzade brings a high level of passion and dedication to everything she does. She is currently working on expanding the brand outside of Nevada, introducing her concept to the rest of the country.
“Our future is really about finding people who are the right fit to grow with us,” Roxarzade concluded.
For more information about franchise opportunities with Rachel’s Kitchen, visit franchise.rachelskitchen.com.
– Jessica Jones