He went from being jobless with no money, to having his best business year ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with Jason Mofrad, 42, owner of Pizza Nova in Collingwood.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Iran’s capital city, Tehran.
Q: What was it like growing up there?
A: It was beautiful. At the time, there was a revolution happening. It wasn’t beautiful with the government.
It was nice to be there, but it was hard to be there. You don’t see a future.
Q: When did you decide to leave?
A: I was 23. I had passed army (eligibility) by two years.
My brother had been living in Canada for 15 years at that time. In Iran, if you're a man and you don’t go into the army, you cannot get a passport. I joined and got my passport.
My brother called and asked if I wanted to come to Canada. I had a good job so I didn’t want to come here at the beginning, but after I talked to him, I agreed. He couldn’t get the VISA for me easily. I had to come as a refugee.
My brother found someone who could bring me to Canada, basically to smuggle me here.
The guy had paperwork ready for me. I flew from Iran to Cuba, stayed there for a week, then flew to Montreal. I didn’t even know they spoke French there. I was at a refugee camp there for 22 days.
Once they got my paperwork, they released me to my family in Toronto. That was in February 2006.
Q: What were you thinking at that time?
A: For someone who had never been out of the country – I saw the pictures my brother had sent – everything is different from where I was coming from, and yet everything was the same.
After one day in Toronto, I was at work.
I didn’t want to waste time.
My brother owned two Pizza Pizzas in Toronto. I went to work with him. For the longest time, I hated the job. I didn’t want to learn it. I was a musician. I played guitar, piano and I composed music.
Back home, I worked in radio and television.
I love the job now.
Q: When did you come to Collingwood, and why?
A: When I came up here, I was jobless and didn’t have money. That was in 2018. I had a job as a bouncer but the club I was working at had construction happening in the building.
My brother called me and said there was a new pizza franchise opening in Collingwood, and asked if I wanted to buy.
I had been skiing in Blue Mountain and I liked the area. I like nature.
Tehran is really busy, and I lived in Toronto for 15 years.
I came here just because of the nature.
Q: When did you open Collingwood’s Pizza Nova?
A: In September 2020.
Q: What was the learning curve like, starting a business and moving to the area all at the same time?
A: I’m not scared of change.
It was the middle of COVID, and I sold my house in Whitby to move up here to start the business.
It was really hard for two or three months, but I made it.
Q: How was it starting a business during COVID-19?
A: 2020 was the best year for me. I made crazy money in 2020.
I was busy. I had nothing to complain about during COVID time.
Q: How has it been over the past four years?
A: It’s tricky, being here in Collingwood. I know this business very well, I’ve been in this business since 2006.
There are so many restaurants. I don’t complain about it. It’s good competition.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I love going to the gym. I arm wrestle.
I love cars and motorcycles.
I wake up at 5:45 a.m. By 6:15 a.m., I’m at the gym. Then I drive out to the water, and I smoke a cigar. I love smoking cigars. I relax there.
Usually we’re open at 11, but I’m here at 9 a.m., getting stuff done.
Q: Is there anything else you want people in Collingwood to know about you?
A: People who know me, know how I am.
Something that maybe makes me different from others is, if people come in and don’t have their wallet, I’ll still give them whatever they want.
I trust people, and I feel like sometimes you can just trust that someone forgot their wallet. If you don’t come back with my $25, I feel like I gave it to charity.
Debit machines stopped working one day. About 15 people took pizza without paying. All of them came back to pay and tip.
I think that’s why people like to come here. Also, I don’t look at my customers like dollar signs. I see every single person who comes here, as my family. I make the food like I’m making it for my own family.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we speak with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature runs on CollingwoodToday every weekend. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
