Our Vision

That determination became the foundation of one of Canada’s most remarkable entrepreneurial stories. In 2009, James opened a modest breakfast restaurant in Montreal. Five years later, he and his brother Habib launched the COCO FRUTTI brand, opening their first location in Joliette, Quebec on November 6, 2014. Today, as Founder of NourishPro, James leads a thriving hospitality group of more than 52 restaurants across Quebec and Ontario — including COCO FRUTTI, Coco Loco, Œuf Doré and Shack Attack — employing over 2,000 people. Through Construction SAA and a fast-growing real estate portfolio, he now oversees more than 250,000 square feet of rental properties and over 2 million square feet of land under active development.

What defines James most, however, is what he chooses to do with that success. To date, he has helped more than 200 children between the ages of 7 and 16 attend school in Afghanistan, supporting their education, sport and well-being — an initiative he is committed to growing to 10,000 children in his lifetime. His teams have already served more than 25,000 hot meals to community members across Laval and Canada, with a long-term goal of delivering one million hot meals to elderly residents. He is a steadfast supporter of Académie Sainte-Thérèse, the Laval Ismaili community centre, Autisme Lanaudière, and the Economic Planning Board of Quebec.

In 2022, the Mayor of Laval invited James to sign the city’s Golden Book in recognition of his service during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, he was presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his exceptional dedication, service and commitment to community. Guided by the teachings of His Highness the Aga Khan, and grounded by the love of his wife Laila and their four children, James lives by two simple principles: help others, and lead with respect.

Building with his own hands

Long before there were 52 restaurants and a real estate empire, there were 16-hour days, dust-covered work clothes, and the satisfaction of finishing a job with your own hands. Through Construction SAA, James personally helped build out dozens of the restaurants that now carry his brands — sawing, tiling, demolishing, framing and finishing alongside his crews. He has never asked anyone on his team to do work he wouldn’t do himself.

GROWING A FAMILY OF TEAMS

James believes that every successful restaurant is, first and foremost, a community. He has helped many of his employees become owners themselves — turning the people who started behind the line into franchise partners and managers. With more than 2,000 people across the NourishPro group, the culture he protects is one of respect, gratitude, and family.

RECOGNIZED AT EVERY LEVEL

From the Mayor of Laval’s Golden Book (2022) to the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025), and meetings with national leaders, James’s service to Canada has been recognized at the municipal, national and royal level. He continues to wear those honours quietly, focusing his attention on the children, employees, elders and newcomers his work is built to serve.