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482:). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 3. "GB: Karachi. I went to school there. Unique English School. Then, from there, you know, in Karachi, of course, called CMS. Then, the college was National College. I did my Inter from there and then came here. Then got my associate degree from the University of Houston."
460:). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 2. "GB: From Pakistan. I was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan. My parents migrated from India and that is where the last name came from - Bombaywala, surname."
774:. October 29, 2004. Retrieved on May 26, 2014. "Some Muslims have the perception that they are not welcome, said Ghulam Bombaywala, who heads the Pakistani-American Association of Greater Houston. "This is our home and yet we feel we are not wanted here," said Bombaywala, a Republican who still plans to vote for Bush this year."
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By 1998 he had established a holding company for some of his restaurants, Watermarc Food
Management Co., and he served as its chairperson. It was the holding company of Billy Blues Barbecue Bar & Grill, Marco's Mexican Restaurant, and The Original Pasta Co. In regards to Billy Blues, Bombaywala
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chain. This meant he received the vice chairperson position and a 54% ownership of the combined company. At the time of the merger, the Billy Blues restaurants were making losses and had a large debt. In
September the board of the merged company elected Bombaywala as the chairperson. At the time
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On Monday August 30, 1999 a U.S. bankruptcy court approved of the bankruptcy settlement. According to the settlement, the assets, including 29 restaurants, were to be sold to Five Points
Investments Inc., a company owned by Haroon Sheikh, for $ 13 million. The restaurants were to continue to be
380:). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 1. "I started out going to school - University of Houston downtown campus. It used to be South Texas Junior College."
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operated under their current names. Watermarc was scheduled to be dissolved. Shaikh became the sole owner and CEO of Five Points, while
Bombaywala became the overseer of daily management at Five Points. At the time the restaurants had a combined total of 1,200 employees.
251:. On the day of the bankruptcy filing, Bombaywala resigned as the president of the company. By January 2004, the remaining restaurants of Five Star were scheduled to be auctioned off, and the company, which had 300 employees at the time, was scheduled to close.
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there were 12 Billy Blues restaurants, including one in
Houston. Billy Blues also owned 20 Marcos Mexican Restaurants in Houston and those were acquired too. Bombaywala planned to move the Billy Blues headquarters from San Antonio to Houston.
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Bombaywala married twice. In 1978, he married a half-Spanish, half-Irish woman. He was married to her for six years and had three children with her. In 1987 he remarried, and as of 2007 he remains married to his second wife.
789:(Oral Histories from the Houston History Project) University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) (
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He acquired Two Pesos Inc., which was making annual losses of $ 2.7 million, and became the company's chairperson and president. In 1993 he sold Two Pesos, by then profitable, for $ 30 million to
270:, Bombaywala became the head of the Pakistani-American Association of Greater Houston (PAGH). He began advocating for more humane treatment of people of Pakistani descent.
751:). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 20.
734:). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 19.
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for five days to do research on delicatessens. Each day, he ate at three different delicatessens. After he returned to
Houston, he took recipes from one of the
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In
December 2000, Bombaywala closed Guggenheim's. The remaining Billy Blues Bar & Grill location on Richmond Avenue in Houston closed in January 2001.
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was unable to turn around that restaurant nor was he able to placate the company's creditors. In
January 1999 Watermarc filed for
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Hassell, Greg. "Restaurateur buys stake in Stop N Go - Houston businessman considering acquisition of additional shares."
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In 1994 Bombaywala expressed his intention to open Marco's
Mexican Restaurant locations across the United States.
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136:, Michelangelo's. At one time Michelangelo's had refused to employ Bombaywala for a busboy position due to his
117:. On arrival, he had fewer than $ 50 ($ 343.18 according to inflation) in cash. That year he began studying at
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He attended primary and secondary school in
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At its peak, Five Points, later named Five Star Restaurants, Inc., and headquartered in
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In July 1994 Bombaywala merged Marco's Mexican Restaurants and Billy Blues Food Co., a
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129:. Bombaywala was part-owner of ten convenience stores and four liquor stores in 1982.
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wrote that Bombaywala was "well-known" and "perhaps most famous for sharing his
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In 1992 he acquired one million shares, or 5%, of the convenience store chain
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Hassell, Greg. "`Bombay' to run Billy Blues/Headquarters to be moved here."
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Belkin, Lisa (September 6, 1989). "A Slice of New York (On Rye) in Texas".
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called Bombaywala the retail entrepreneur of Houston of the year in 1991.
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Hassell, Greg (September 5, 1990). "New top dogs at James Coney Island".
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Greer, Jim (September 3, 1990). "Bankruptcy Judge Picks Wiener Winner".
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wrote "Bombaywala's rise to success is practically legend in Houston."
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bankruptcy. By September 1999 five Billy Blue's restaurants closed.
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of 1947. His Mother's name is Zeenat after whom he later named the
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show, and the episode discussed the rise of his business empire.
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who agreed to work with him, Doris Katz. In 1989 he, Katz, and
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Making A Difference: Restaurateur lobbies on behalf of Muslims
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In September 2003 Five Points, now named Five Star, filed for
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Ailing restaurant chain to auction Mexican, Italian eateries
258:. By 2006 Bombaywala's son officially owned Michelangelo's.
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We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans
558:. Wednesday January 22, 1992. Business p. 1. Available at
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With his saved funds, he bought an Italian restaurant in
140:. He had also established a restaurant chain, Marco's.
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406:. Thursday April 8, 1999. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
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562:, Record Number 01*22*1032262. Available at the
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374:Bombaywala, Ghulam Bombaywala transcript, 2 of 2
273:In the mid-2000s Bombaywala had a conflict with
689:. December 15, 1994. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
540:. September 5, 1999. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
640:. January 26, 2004. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
113:At age 17, in 1973 he arrived in Houston on a
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532:Local buyer lifts Watermarc out of Chapter 11
508:. August 15, 2004. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
342:History of the Pakistani-Americans in Houston
44:'s audience". In 2006 Edward Hegstrom of the
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709:. Friday September 2, 1994. Available at
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109:Michelangelo's, which Bombaywala acquired
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121:. After arriving, he began working as a
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254:In 2006 Bombaywala himself filed for
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888:20th-century American businesspeople
221:By 1999, Bombaywala appeared on the
30:. In 1999, Magaret L. Briggs of the
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20:Ghulam Mohammed "Bombay" Bombaywala
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762:Muslims cite betrayal by Bush
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163:In 1990, Bombaywala, Kaplan,
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883:Church Mission School alumni
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316:As of 2004 Bombaywala was a
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300:, and the Sam Houston Area
244:, had over 40 restaurants.
193:National Convenience Stores
90:Government National College
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330:2004 Presidential Election
268:September 11, 2001 attacks
169:Max Levit and Milton Levit
119:South Texas Junior College
320:. He planned to vote for
195:, which is the parent of
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652:Houston Business Journal
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537:Houston Business Journal
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283:2005 Kashmir earthquake
863:American restaurateurs
715:Houston Public Library
564:Houston Public Library
167:, Edwin Freedman, and
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831:Archive of audio file
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392:Briggs, Margaret L. "
302:Boy Scouts of America
249:Chapter 11 bankruptcy
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86:Church Mission School
593:, 9780674037441. p.
275:Houston City Council
256:Chapter 7 bankruptcy
803:Archive of PDF file
791:Archive of PDF file
498:Hegstrom, Edward. "
430:Hegstrom, Edward. "
138:low English fluency
903:People from Mumbai
609:The New York Times
576:Gabaccia, Donna R.
207:San Antonio, Texas
173:James Coney Island
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24:Pakistani-American
771:Houston Chronicle
706:Houston Chronicle
667:Houston Chronicle
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242:Sugar Land, Texas
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186:Taco Cabana
74:during the
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591:0674037448
358:References
318:Republican
294:United Way
266:After the
216:Chapter 11
54:Early life
40:tale with
279:M.J. Khan
197:Stop N Go
171:acquired
76:Partition
797:) - See
711:NewsBank
560:NewsBank
336:See also
149:partners
134:Montrose
68:Pakistan
766:Archive
749:Archive
732:Archive
480:Archive
458:Archive
398:Archive
378:Archive
328:in the
277:member
60:Karachi
28:Houston
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123:busboy
96:Career
799:Index
233:2000s
159:1990s
72:India
70:from
64:Memon
42:Oprah
22:is a
587:ISBN
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