Global Instinct
Talar Ishak advocates for seizing the opportunity, no matter the distance
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Food for Thought
Albert and Terry Bezjian’s inspired ideas create opportunities for youth
Today’s Armenian youth should focus on getting the best education possible to ensure a bright future. We are pleased to do our part in supporting them via AGBU—a cornerstone of the Armenian Nation.
Talia Jebejian Bouldoukian, Edward Carreon
Like the phyllo dough that Albert Bezjian sold through his family’s specialty food business for decades, his own life has many rich layers—starting in his native Beirut, where his mother was known to be a superb cook—an inherited trait from her grandfather. He would bring home recipes from his world travels and took great pride in recreating them for his family. While Bezjian graduated from the Armenian Evangelical Central High School in 1957 and decided to pursue a BS degree in engineering in America, food would remain the focal point of his life.
Before and after graduating California State University in Los Angeles, he supported himself by working as an aerospace product engineer. “But then my parents, Hagop and Alice, also immigrated to Southern California, and bought a business selling Armenian and Indian products,” recalls Bezjian.
“They named it Bezjian’s Grocery and transformed it into a popular destination. It was 1969—the aerospace industry was winding down, I was married to Terry (nÈe DeLouise) and recognized the immense potential of their store, so I joined the family business,” he continues. His first step was adding a bakery to the premises, and then a wholesale division—Indo-European Foods, Inc. Exponential growth thereafter led him to purchase an airport hangar to use as a warehouse, with distribution points all the way to Texas.
He later met a Bulgarian couple at a food exposition on their first visit to the US, and created the brand ZerG¸t (VeryGood in German) to sell their jarred recipes. He continued building his company until he sold it in 2007. “I stayed on to ensure a smooth transition and retired in 2011 to travel the world with Terry,” adds Bezjian. They have two daughters, and now four grandchildren.
“My favorite place to visit is Armenia, especially to spend time with the AUA students to whom we awarded scholarships. They are making tremendous strides, and it’s an honor to witness this growth in our homeland,” recounts Bezjian.
As the years went by, Bezjian learned more about AGBU and concluded it has the right kind of exposure and tremendous reach. He backs numerous AGBU endeavors: the Albert & Terry Bezjian Endowment benefitting the Opportunity Fund; as well as Artsakh Relief, AUA scholarships; and a special collaboration since 2021 between AGBU and the Albert & Terry Bezjian Yerazi Tun (Dream Home), which supports disabled youth in Armenia.
His mother published a substantial collection of recipes in 1983—The Complete Armenian Cookbook, which became an iconic bestseller. In 2021, Bezjian donated the last printing to AGBU to fund Yerazi Tun.
Albert Bezjian concludes, “Today’s Armenian youth should focus on getting the best education possible to ensure a bright future. We are pleased to do our part in supporting them via AGBU—a cornerstone of the Armenian Nation.”
November 20, 2024
