Dough has been part of Charlie Hoyek’s life since he was a child. Charlie grew up in his parents’ Lebanese bakery in Sydney’s Dulwich Hill, learning about bread making and business at the kitchen table.
So it was a natural progression for Charlie to leverage his entrepreneurial spirit and follow in his family’s footsteps with his own dough-based business.
In 2008 he established the first Manoosh Pizzeria in Enmore, with the support of his parents and the help of his sister Mary. “The family helped me get on my feet and from there I kept learning and growing the business,” he says.
Four years later he had shaped Manoosh into a popular takeaway spot. The name derives from the Lebanese pizza (man’oushe) on the menu – think za’atar, falafel and garlic sauce toppings.
As the business grew, so did Charlie’s ambition, and he opened a second store in Sydney’s inner west, in multicultural Marrickville.
“We used that second store to extend the menu range and delivery zone and cemented our popularity in the inner west,” he said.
In 2018 Charlie turned to franchising to achieve his expansion ambitions, launching the first franchise in Waterloo the same year. Measured growth followed until the business ramped it up in the past two years and opened 12 stores.
Today the business has 18 stores across New South Wales and ACT.
The Manoosh rebrand to OOSHMAN
Now it is elevating the brand to a new level, unveiling a new name, colour scheme and store design.
“As we started to grow in the past three years, we noticed our brand name becoming the new norm for other independent bakeries, so we made the decision to bite the bullet and do a rebrand for our future as the word Manoosh was becoming too generic in the market place.
“So when it came to a rebrand for Manoosh, Ooshman was the obvious choice. The name was selected from an online poll we did with our customers, to name our mascot in our logo. We thought it was a fantastic idea as the word Manoosh got flipped to OOSHMAN. It’s a name we’ve used in socials, it’s in our DNA. I think it’s great to rebrand if needed; it brings in fresh ideas, gives us another kickstart.”
Charlie says the new look reflects a fresh, positive vibe.
Traditionally Manoosh used red, green and white, representing the colours of Lebanon. “We’ve selected one colour, green, which is the colour of the cedar tree. We’ve kept our DNA – the look is fresh and the colour pops against a sage background in store,” Charlie says.
New and existing stores will showcase the sophisticated fresh look with enhanced design elements such as tiles and pendants. Ooshman has been predominantly a pick-up and delivery business; as franchised outlets open they will incorporate a small, funky, dine-in area.
Marketing and IT innovation drive sales
In this transition phase Charlie is starting to see sales build as the rebrand takes effect. He says marketing channels and IT developments are crucial for driving sales.
“Tech and innovation drive the marketplace and it is easy to fall behind. We have our own online ordering and app, we’ve invested heavily in our IT development,” he says. “This is something we’ve kept building out over the years. We’re big on tech, we understand it.”
Ooshman runs its own delivery fleet and utilises third-party delivery platforms too.
“Ooshman has strong marketing and technology innovations up there with the biggest QSR chains but with the advantage that we’re smaller and family-owned.”
Crucially, the business has responded to market trends and customer demand, expanding its menu offer beyond the traditional Lebanese pizza. Charlie has enhanced the business and tempted customers’ tastebuds first adding a modern take on the classic Italian-style pizzas and then introducing delicious, freshly-baked wraps.
“Our next project is building a new menu by the end of the year. We release limited-time offers regularly, but this will add sought-after items to the regular menu.”
Charlie highlights more innovation around the end of 2024, early 2025 as Ooshman heads into the breakfast market.
“Ooshman is unique in offering a crossover pizza menu incorporating both traditional Lebanese and Italian-style pizzas. What we offer is distinct, it’s good value, and brings back customers. And we can roll all day into evening.
“We want to expand Ooshman more across Sydney and the ACT, and then open up stores around Newcastle and Wollongong before we head interstate in a couple of years,” Charlie says.