Atomic Wings CEO Zak Omar says there is one habit that has helped him become a better leader: looking back at what went right, confronting what went wrong and identifying ways to improve.
“At the end of every week, I look at what we’ve done well and what we failed at, or, what mistakes we made,” Omar said. “Learning from your failures leads to greater success in the future.”
But Omar doesn’t spend too much time celebrating wins. Instead, he focuses on what the company can do better.
That approach has helped him grow Atomic Wings – a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its chicken wings and tenders – to 35 locations across multiple states, with plans to reach 40 by the end of the year.
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Omar’s connection to the restaurant industry began when he was a child. His father, an Afghan refugee, operated a chicken truck in New York City, where Omar would help out. He recalls experimenting with flavors as a child, mixing barbecue sauce, ketchup and mayonnaise with food left over from his father’s truck.
Today, Omar says that running a restaurant is about more than the food.
“We’re not in the food business here – we’re in the customer service business,” he said. “You’re not selling chicken, you’re putting a smile on people’s faces.”
Omar initially took a different path after college, working on Wall Street in an IT capacity. But his life changed after he was diagnosed with leukemia at the same time that his father was hospitalized with a brain tumor.
After undergoing treatment, Omar decided not to return to his corporate job.
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“I figured… let’s do something that my dad would be happy about,” he said.
Omar eventually acquired Atomic Wings and began growing the brand beyond New York.
As CEO, Omar said one thing he does not want to give up is his direct connection with customers.
He recently received a message from a longtime customer after a popular reward disappeared during an overhaul of the Atomic Wings app. Omar said he immediately asked the company’s technology team to restore it.
“Once you lose connection with that front line, you lose a connection with reality,” he said.
Omar said the best career advice he has received is to focus on helping other people succeed.
“When you focus on your team, and you focus on the people around you, your success is a natural byproduct of their success,” he said.
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That is especially important in a franchise business, Omar said, because the company’s success depends on its franchisees succeeding.
And while being a CEO may sound appealing, Omar said one big misconception about the job is that it’s “fun.”
Omar said that CEOs have to wear many hats and make decisions that affect employees, franchisees and the broader business.
“It’s a lot of hard work, and you need to be selfless in a way because you have to commit yourself to the job,” he said.
