DOTI Franchise Adds Two Design Stores In Southern California

Furniture World Magazine

Southern California is now home to two new Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) Design Stores. DOTI is an upscale, franchised network of 20 “Design Stores” that combines traditional interior design services and home furnishings along with a retail showroom. The combination offers customers a new level of individual in-home or in-store service, while offering an unparalleled selection of high-end brand names from more than 200 vendors in the areas of furniture, wall coverings, window treatments, floor covering, lighting and accessories. The first of the newest Southern California locations, which opened in December in Temecula, is a 4,700-square-foot store located at 41555 Margarita Road and owned by Brit and Laura Reich. Brit Reich, a former VP of sales for Black & Decker, left an 18-year corporate career behind to pursue self-employment. Instead of traveling, which his previous job required, Reich wanted to spend more time at home with his wife, Laura, and their four children. Brit and Laura wanted to do something where they could combine their talents and work together. The Reichs were introduced to the DOTI concept by a local business advisor and were immediately attracted. Likewise, DOTI’s second Southern California franchisee, Ferri Fathi, saw the DOTI concept as an ideal combination of her talents and passions. A former hospital management executive, Fathi had become disenchanted with corporate America. Looking to own a business that merged her previous studies at the Interior Designers Institute of Newport Beach with her passion for business, Fathi found DOTI to be the perfect fit. She opened this January on 169 North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. This trendy home design area was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “dynamic” and “a new avenue to discover” for hip homeowners in Southern California. Fathi plans to open a second Design Store once her first has been up and running successfully. The Southern California growth won’t stop there. Jim Evanger, CEO of DOTI, plans to open more stores in markets across the United States and in key international cities. DOTI plans to add 12 to 15 new franchisees each year and have 65 Design Stores open nationwide by the end of 2008 through a combination of single- and multi-unit ownership. For more information, visit www.doti.com.