How I Work: Azam Mehdi, partner of Georges Brasserie and Kid Cashew

On the 6-year anniversary of Georges Brasserie, I sat down with Azam Mehdi, a managing partner of both Georges and Kid Cashew.

As the self-proclaimed “company geek,” Azam manages the numbers, manuals, and metrics of the two restaurants. He also does commercial brokerage independent of his adventures with George Bakatsias, the creator of these popular spots and of 12 restaurants in the Triangle area. 

Check out the work life of this very smart and successful “geek.”

Office location

If I’m doing computer work, I’m usually at my house.

Job Title 

Company Geek. (He says it’s “Strategist” officially.)

What do you actually do?

Usually it’s a matter of translating someone’s vision into reality. 

My wife never understands what I do, so I had to break it down to her with a chart… Basically, POASCH is my company and I do everything under it (as shown below.) So I’m not a member of Giorgios Group; rather, I partner with Giorgios Group for consulting and as a partner in restaurants.

Commute 

5 minutes. 

What do you do during your commute?

Listen to NPR or Tupac.

Phone Type

iPhone 6 Plus. 

Desk

Computer

Microsoft Surfacebook. 

Gadgets you can’t live without

Paper, pen, and a laptop.

Do you listen to music while you work? 

No.

What’s your favorite spot for a business lunch? Your order? 

I would say Georges. The quiche. (It’s always on the menu, but the veggies change seasonally.)

Social media habits

I do use Facebook and Twitter extensively, but it’s primarily as a news feed. Not my friends’ news but to figure out what’s going on in the world. Instagram is primarily for the restaurants. 

To-do list manager

I use Trello. Phenomenal, hands down the greatest.

What everyday thing are you really good at? 

Keeping up with current events. I’m kind of a news junkie.

Best time-saving shortcut or Charlotte life hack

Avoiding traffic. Never drive at 5 [PM], 8 or 9 [AM]. Coming from California, the thing I love the most is avoiding traffic.

Sleep routine

I fall asleep by 2…wake up by sunrise for morning prayer, and I’ll usually take a 30 minute nap at some time during the day. I go to sleep pretty late, usually with Seinfeld on in the background. 

Where do you go around Charlotte to get away from the office? 

Any lake. I like to go fishing. 

What did you eat for breakfast this morning? 

I usually just have some form of a smoothie, usually a vegetable smoothie, and cups of coffee. (I asked how many. He said usually 4 cups by noon.)

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing? 

Probably private equity. Raise funds and purchase businesses. I just like creating teams, and private equity is a good way of getting into that.

Best job advice you’ve received

To just make sure you know why you’re doing something. Because usually you’re gonna have to leave, and it’s really tough if you end up leaving for the wrong reasons or the wrong time unless you’re explicit when you get into a transaction. 

Last book you read (grade it on a A-F scale)

Moral Tribes by Joshua Green. Grade: A

Last movie you watched (grade it on a A-F scale)

Straight Outta Compton. Grade: A

What’s one thing people don’t know about Charlotte that they should? 

The nature. I’m an outdoor person, so I’m kind of bias. 

Is there anything else that we didn’t ask that you’d like to tell our readers? 

A thank you to the team at Georges Brasserie and Kid Cashew for all they’ve done… especially Joe DeBlasio, Jeff Schriber, Giorgio Bakatsias and Martin Sprock.

What other Charlottean would you like to answer these questions? 

Tom Barringer at Novant Health.