Echo Times

Issue date: 11/15/06 Section: A&E

Media Credit: Anthony Carty Mo Gheselbash dishes up some hot food at his Campus Bistro.

Media Credit: Anthony Carty Leila Ghesel-hbash froths milk behind the counter.

Two young women standing in line at the campus bistro in the Student Services building wondered what the young owner behind the counter did to have such beautiful skin. Finally, they leaned over the counter and asked her. Leila Gheselbash's answer surprised them. "My mother taught me to rub honey on my skin every night, leave it on for 20 minutes or
so, and then wash it off," she said. With her pearly white teeth and ready smile, Mrs. Gheselbash immediately charmed them. The women thanked her for her "secret formula," and vowed to try it themselves.

It was 8:30 in the morning at the bistro. Mo and LeilaGheselbash had already been working nearly two hours. So youthful in appearance, they could be young college students themselves. Instead, they had been college students in Tehran, Iran. They immigrated to the United States in l999.

Mr. Gheselbash, 40, carried himself with pride and talked excitedly about his business. Behind the kitchen, a simple table and a few empty chairs are available for his staff to rest from their long hours on their feet. "Sometimes the five days a week are each ten hour days," he said. His enthusiasm and gentleness reveal special qualities for the business he has chosen for his wife and himself. COM benefits from the added value of having chosen Mr. Gheselbash to fulfill the culinary needs of both campuses.

Mr. Gheselbach beamed when talking about the deli-restaurant type bistro he and his wife are dedicated to. "I always dreamed of having my own business," said Mr. Gheselbash. "It's important to me to have high standards. Quality. Customer service. Reasonable prices. That's what I want to stand for," he said.

"We offer 52 different drinks. We keep trying new items to keep up with the tastes and interests of our customers. I am proud we put some of the profits back into the school. Kentfield, IVC and ASCOM are beneficiaries of our work here."

Mrs. Gheselbash, 32, said they don't have children. Instead, she said she cooks for the students as if they were her family. The bistro menu charts above the food deliver counter illustrate the commitment the Gheselbashs' have to fresh foods presented in many ways: burritos, wraps, sandwiches with a wide variety of vegetables. Fresh carrot and orange juices set carefully iced by the cash register entice customers to the healthy foods available. "We care about the people here.

It's not just a business. We feel we are a part of the community here," she said.

The Gheselbashs' roots go back to Tehran. They both graduated from college. "I have a Masters degree in environmental engineering. I worked in waste-water management design systems," he said. Mrs. Geselbach worked as an Italian translator before they moved here in l999. She speaks three languages fluently. "Everybody in our culture goes to university. We are expected to be educated. Otherwise, our parents wouldn't be happy with us, she said."

Still, he had a secret dream of owning his own business. Mr. Gheselbash learned from a cousin who lived in Marin about a public offering to operate a food service cafeteria at COM. There were many complaints about the previous cafeteria food. He and his cousin made a bid and COM accepted. Now the Gheselbashs' have several food service businesses. They have become entrepreneurs. Hayward State University and a law school in San Francisco offer the same kind of high standards and food they provide at COM.

"We cater the graduation each year and do buffets for college programs and meetings, too" he said. In a photo album, pictures of the bistro showed "before" and "after" renovation of their space. The "before" pictures showed a colorless uninviting area where a limited menu was posted, and fast food was served. The "after" pictures showed a transformed space. One striking photo was a beautiful display of exotic fresh salads and fruits. Foods you might expect to see at banquet. "We want our food to be clean, fresh, and healthy. We don't do canned soups. Every thing is home made," said Mrs. Gheselbash. Meals for our customers are like in our home."

"It makes me feel sad when the students graduate," said Mrs. Gheselbash. "The students become part of our family. I know them and they tell me about their families. We tell them to please stop by to see us when they leave. Some do."

Education is still very important to this hard-working couple. "The teachers here are so good," they both said. "We have taken ESL classes." They would like to take more if they had the time. "It's a hard job and you have to love it. We do," they said. "The people who work with us don't want to leave us. They are our family, too," said Mrs. Gheselbash

On weekends and school breaks, Mr. Gheselbash travels to visit other college food services in the area to see what they are doing. He wants to see if he can learn some new ways of doing things that would improve his business. "When we go out to eat," Mrs. Gheselbach said, "my husband is thinking about his business and looking to discover new ideas he might try. He's amazing." He is. They both are.

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