Entrepreneurs, if nothing else, must be resourceful.
Exhibit A: Sammy Lakhany and Ali Hojat. Both men have a passion for driving exotic cars and figured a lot of others who live in Orange County do, too. So they started borrowing spiffy specimens from friends, rented them out here and there, and split profits with the owners.
The duo now has a fleet of about 20 luxury models at a Costa Mesa showroom called EnVus Motorsports, or “envy us.”
Their latest entrepreneurial effort stems from another love: nightlife. The business partners opened EnVy Lounge last spring in the former Ten Nightclub space in Newport Beach.
They declined to disclose revenue—both companies are privately held—but they’re bold in their intent that EnVus be acquired.
“The goal is to sell the company in five years for $20 million,” Lakhany said.
The men say their business mix and approach boils down to a combination of persistence and personal interest in the lifestyle experiences they offer.
Seed of Ventures
Hojat was working at a Wells Fargo branch in Tustin and holding down a job on the side as VIP manager at Ten Nightclub when he met Lakhany, who was a mortgage broker.
Lakhany wanted to open an exotic car rental business. As he planted seeds of the venture, he enlisted Hojat, who at the time was running a vape store, to be his partner.
They started EnVus with cars Lakhany bought. The first, in 2015, was a 35th birthday present to himself: a T-Rex with a price tag of $60,000. The two-seat, three-wheeled vehicle—half car, half motorcycle—was created by Canada-based Campagna Corp.
The duo opened the 2,000-square-foot EnVus in April. They’ve expanded to serve Los Angeles and San Diego, but without physical spaces. No additional expansions are planned.
Meanwhile, the former owner of Ten Nightclub, Vinnie Cappizi, who also owns the next-door Ten Asian Bistro, was looking to lease out the nightclub as Lakhany and Hojat were opening EnVus. Hojat arranged a meeting between Lakhany and Cappizi, and they sealed the deal last February. They invested $650,000 from friends, family and a business loan to renovate the space, opening it a few months later in May as EnVy.
Lakhany had tried to open a combination bar and lounge in Santa Ana in 2012 but said he was derailed by red tape after investing $250,000 from friends and family. He wrote off the loss as part of being an entrepreneur and looked ahead to the next business opportunity.
“I don’t regret much in life,” Lakhany said. “As an entrepreneur, you have to keep looking forward. Forward progression, not regression.”
Playing on the EnV brand was a way to link both businesses, Lakhany said.
“EnVus was first, and it was a play on ‘car envy,’ which a lot of people have,” he said. “Naming the lounge ‘EnVy’ tied into it nicely because it gives it a sense of exclusivity. The luxury lifestyle of fast cars and beautiful women who go to EnVy Lounge is what is envied.”
The men otherwise rely on TV and radio spots to promote the businesses.
Cherry on Top
EnVus started turning a profit within three months, Lakhany said. Models, in addition to the T-Rex, include a Lamborghini Huracan and a Ferrari Spyder.
The cars rent for various prices. The T-Rex, for example, rents for $500 a day. The duo changes the colors of the cars every month for variety, using wraps by Santa Ana-based Fiere Customs. EnVus is in the process of entering into a partnership with Fiere to house Fiere in EnVus’ building, Lakhany said.
EnVus more recently started selling some of the cars, offering purchase financing.
Lakhany said EnVus differentiates itself from the exotic car-rental competition by offering flexible pricing and high-end service, such as the ability to return cars to the nightclub for the opportunity to experience the partners’ other business.
The high caliber of customer service was an incentive to Theresa Shoemaker. She and her daughter, Samantha, rented the Lamborghini in August for her other daughter Katrina’s 22nd birthday.
“The car was a matte white color, which was beautiful,” she said. “It was fantastic, but dealing with everybody at EnVus really was the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. We couldn’t have dealt with nicer people. We felt they trusted us.”
Upscale
EnVy Lounge has been transformed into an elegant nightclub with the feel of a 1920s speakeasy. Private cabanas, replete with gold velvet couches hemmed in by swagged valances of blue and gold, line one side. Chandeliers and embossed tin tiles adorn the ceiling.
Lakhany and Hojat removed a stage at the back of the 4,000-square-foot lounge to open up the area for dancing. There’s a private outdoor area with couches, heat lamps and a second, smaller bar. The menu is a limited version of Ten Asian Bistro’s offerings.
In Their Blood
Lakhany and Hojat are partners in both businesses. Lakhany is gradually getting out of the financial sector to focus more on the EnV businesses, he said. The entrepreneur refers to himself as “having a relentless nature with alligator blood.”
“You have to stay organized,” he said. “First, you have to love what you do. If I didn’t, none of this would happen. The high is sketching your idea and watching it come alive. People ask me all the time, what makes you successful? I want it more than anyone else. I’m willing to work harder and faster and focus [more] than anyone else.”
Lakhany oversees both businesses but spends most of his time managing EnVy Lounge. Hojat manages the day-to-day operations of EnVus.
“The best part about running EnVus … is the social aspect,” Hojat said. “I love meeting new people and making their car fantasy dreams come true … It’s really rewarding to be able to make people happy because they get to drive cars that they would otherwise never have an opportunity to drive.”
