Tariq Farid is president and CEO of Edible Arrangements International, which specializes in creating exquisite, hand-sculpted, fresh fruit "bouquets" composed of strawberries, pineapple, grapes, oranges, cantaloupe and honeydew.   He is responsible for setting the company's strategic direction and for the licensing of new franchises across the U.S. and internationally.

Mr. Farid launched the first Edible Arrangements store in 1999 in East Haven, Conn., inspired by the convergence of three trends:  Americans' growing consumption of fresh fruit, the robust growth in the specialty food market and the increasing dollars Americans were spending on gifts.  A self-taught computer whiz, Mr. Farid designed all the systems that would be rolled out to franchisees, including their computer systems, training manuals, production and profitability tracking, supply chain management, etc.   He has two U.S. patents pending for proprietary fruit-cutting machines and one patent for a fruit skewer that he designed.

The first Edible Arrangements franchise opened in 2001; the current total is now over 850 stores.  Growth continues unabated, with an average of 25 franchise signings a month.  Mr. Farid's involvement with franchisees has been very hands on, including laying floors and helping with the painting of stores.  He still spends about two hours daily in the corporate store in Hamden, Conn., to stay in regular contact with customers, the day-to-day realities of running a retail store and the marketplace's changing demands.

Mr. Farid’s finesse with computer systems dates to 1993, when he founded Netsolace, which is a computer software distributor for the retail industry located in Hamden, Conn.  He maintains his ownership of the company, which is an Edible Arrangements affiliate.

Mr. Farid's entrepreneurial experience began in the late 1980s, when with a $5,000 cash advance from his parents, he purchased a local flower shop at age 17.  Within two years, Mr. Farid was operating four highly successful stores.  As a teenager, Mr. Farid worked in a local McDonald's for several years and learned the power of business systemization.