Southlake man couldn’t get job at Church’s Chicken years ago. Now he owns 140 locations

Aslam Khan’s life story is often described as rags to riches.

Which he finds ironic because he was actually wearing a suit and tie when he was turned away from his first job interview with Church’s Chicken nearly four decades ago. He thinks it might have been because he was overdressed. It was for a fast-food restaurant, after all, he said.

Now, at 69, he is the largest franchisee in the organization of the fast food restaurant with his company, Falcon Holdings, operating over 140 stores.

Oh, and he became the boss of the same man who turned him away that day, a man who barely gave him the time of day and even cursed during the interview, Khan recalled.

”Forgive and forget. If you carry the burden with you, you hold yourself back,” Khan said. “As I walked away, I promised myself that I would always be civil to my employees and anyone applying for a job,” Khan said.

If you ask him about what he does for a living, he will say simply, “I am in the people business and our product just happens to be food.”

That man whom Khan encountered that day is still with the company. Taking full advantage of the second chance Khan gave him, he is now a general manager having learned a valuable lesson, Khan said.

“I always treated him with the respect he had failed to show to me and other employees,” Khan said.

It is that ability to see beyond the surface, being able to see more than money and power, that Khan believes has lifted him to his status in life. Yes, he’s an admitted capitalist and owns his own company, Falcon Holdings, based in Southlake, but money has never been the driving force behind his success, he professes.

Church’s Chicken turnaround

Much of his success is based on keeping companies in business whereas other folks might see the solution being to close them down. Instead of ending operations and putting lots of people out of work, Khan sees more potential in saving the business.

This is how he earned his nickname “The Turnaround Artist.”

Nowhere is that more evident than his purchase of 100 Church’s Chicken franchises on the verge of bankruptcy in 1999, the same year he created Falcon Holdings in Atlanta. In 2008, he moved the company to Texas and by that time had bought and rescued 182 Church’s stores, several of which have since been sold.

Khalid Habash was part of the team Khan rescued in 1999. He is now president of Falcon Holdings.

”Our synergy was immediate, driven by a shared commitment to results and the creation of a transformative culture,” he said. “Beyond his astute business acumen and integrity, Aslam’s standing in the community is founded on his forthright approach and ethical business transactions.

”He is unafraid to fight and make personal sacrifices to uphold his promises.”

In fact, it was not too long ago that one of his major financial partners challenged him on this philosophy. Rather than help with an investment to protect jobs, the banker told Khan he doesn’t care about people and wasn’t going to put money in. Khan responded by buying him out for the sake of the jobs and families.

”Their little kids go to school, they have house payments, bills,” he said. Also, each time I help someone, God rewards me twice.”

Success comes from caring and sharing

Khan believes if you create opportunities for people to be successful they will do the same for you.

For example, Khan provides daily analytic reports to employees so they understand where their store is performance-wise in comparison with others in the chain.

”They know that they are No. 1, No. 5, whatever, there’s incentive,” he said, adding with a chuckle that he often even shares with spouses if they are around, “One got mad and said to her husband, ‘You told me you were No. 1 in the company!’”

He also offers general managers a chance at having up to 25% ownership in their own store.

”Now they’re working as owners with their own company,” he said.

Khan believes that educated team members are more valuable because they understand the “why” of what they are doing. This understanding empowers them to make smarter decisions.

Nazar Syed, chief operating officer of Church’s Chicken/Falcon Holdings, has known Khan for 35 years. He has seen firsthand the impact his friend has had in lifting up his employees.

”One example that comes to mind was him giving more flexible hours for employees who were single mothers so that they were able to continue their education and provide for their families,” Syad said. “Some of these employees have been with Aslam for so long that they’ve not only completed their college programs, but their kids are also growing up and becoming doctors and CPAs in their own right.

”I remember some of his favorite sayings were, ‘If not you, then who? If not now, then when?’ and ‘Money doesn’t make man, man makes money,’ among many others. These phrases help inspire a lot of other people to make their own decisions and to be confident in themselves.”

Early years in Pakistan

As a young boy in the village of Fatehabad in Pakistan, Khan hiked eight miles each day through a forest and crossed a river to attend school and return home. Each way, he removed his clothes and carried them with his books across the river in chest-high water, getting dressed on the other side and continuing his journey.

”People used to try and scare me to stay home,” he said. “Now, 40 years later, I put a bridge over the river.”

At 14, he left home with nothing more than the clothes on his back and five rupees (about 60 cents in American money). For years, he lived in the cities of Multan and Rawalpindi as a “tea boy” dispensing hot drinks at a roadside canteen and sweeping out a bake shop, where he lived in the back.

He noticed a newspaper ad seeking wait staff at the U.S. Embassy Club in Islamabad. He applied and was hired, getting promoted to bartender and later assistant manager.

All of while, the club was creating a window to the world, broadening his own view.

Coming to America

Not giving up after that initial Church’s encounter, Khan got a job washing dishes at an LA Church’s for $3.25 an hour in 1986.

A year later he had worked his way to store manager. By 1988 he was regional marketing manager, in 1989 he became marketing director, and by 1996 he was chief operating officer.

Not only did he focus on selling chicken, he worked to create memorable times for customers by hosting special events such as a visit from the world’s tallest man and DJs playing music in the parking lots.

And he created a strategy that some called risky and even outlandish. If customers didn’t get their food within 30 seconds, it was free.

He noted they didn’t give away many free meals.

”When complexity settles in, possibilities are not achievable,” Khan said. “When things are simple, you can do magic.”

Pushing back death

Even in the face of death, Khan maintained his top priority of serving others.

Because of a hereditary situation, he was facing the complete failure of both of his lungs and needed a transplant within 90 days or death was certain. The Turnaround Artist was looking at a dead end.

Khan professed confidence that God would provide a match and the difficult surgery would happen. Nonetheless, he made one thing certain to his staff — philanthropy promises would be fulfilled, no matter what.

A match was found and the surgery was a success on July 11 two years ago.

”They said I’m going to live to be 107 if I don’t screw it up,” Khan said with a laugh. “I never said why me? I said if God wants me, I’ll go, but I had a happiness and peace of mind that God didn’t want me yet.”

Falcon Holdings

Khan said there is no deep or philosophical reasoning behind the name, which was created in Atlanta, where the name of the city’s NFL franchise is the Falcons.

”The banker’s secretary asked what we were going to name it. The Falcons were playing at home that day, so that’s where the name came from,” he said.

Now, almost a quarter century later, the company has continued to grow quintessentially. Along with their success with Church’s, they have also acquired Long John Silvers and A&W franchises in Texas, Hardees locations in Indiana, Carl’s Jr.’s in Oklahoma, the Piccadilly Cafeteria chain, Fatz Cafes LLC and K&W Holdings (cafeterias).

Also, Khan became CEO of TGI Friday’s in 2017, turning it from a money-loser to a money-maker in a single year. He became vice chairman in 2018.

Returning home to Pakistan

Khan regularly makes trips back to Fatehabad. His contributions to his impoverished homeland have included building roads connecting 12 villages and working with the local government to build clinics and a hospital.

His brother and sister still live there also.

”When God gives you a chance, you give it all you’ve got,” Khan said. “It comes in the mindset.”

Khan said that mindset is, “Every day, this is what I am going to do. If I don’t do something, nothing happens.”

Looking ahead

Khan’s son Abraham has also immersed himself in Falcon Holdings. He’s held various positions, including operations manager since September of 2022.

While Khan said no one is taking over his role in the company without being completely qualified, he noted of Abraham, “He can have everything if he is qualified.”

In the meantime, Khan said he has no plans to go anywhere and to continue doing what he does best for the greatest satisfaction of all.

”I used to say you break it, I fix it,” he said. “I’ve fixed a lot of companies and things in my life and I’m doing it for God.”