Maple Observer - North Vancouver entrepreneur honoured for leadership and contribution

Amir Hosh says being named to Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 list is an honour, but not one he sees as his alone. The president of Ayoub’s Dried Fruits and Nuts credits a people-first culture and community support for turning a small North Vancouver shop into a growing B.C. brand.

Ayoub’s is a family-run business. When Hosh opened the first store on Lonsdale Avenue with the support of family members, he says no one imagined it would grow to its current scale.

“We maybe had 10, 12, 15 customers a day,” he said. “Now we run about 1,000 transactions a day.”

Hosh was 16 years old when his family moved to Canada from Iran. He studied business at Simon Fraser University and said his experiences helped shape his approach to entrepreneurship and leadership.

The first Ayoub’s opened in 2009. The name comes from Amir’s father, Ayoub, who began roasting nuts by hand in the early 1980s. His long-standing artisanal approach and distinctive roasting techniques laid the foundation for the family business.

The journey from a small 850-square-foot shop in North Vancouver to a growing network of stores across B.C. is part of what recently earned Hosh a spot on Business in Vancouver’s 2025 Forty Under 40 list. The annual awards recognize business leaders from across the province for their professional and community contributions.

The recognition, he said, is both an honour and a reminder that business success is rarely individual.

“Business is a team sport,” he said. “I’m taking this award on behalf of the company. It’s not just me, it’s our entire team.”

Ayoub’s growth did not come from rapid expansion or early expectations of scale, Hosh said. Instead, it came slowly, one customer at a time, supported by the North Shore community. He said the most significant milestone in that growth hasn’t been the number of locations or sales volume, but the people behind the brand.

“The biggest achievement so far is putting together an exceptional group of people,” he said. “A team that runs Ayoub’s operations every day, delivers exceptional service and makes sure our products are consistently high quality.”

Today, Ayoub’s operates multiple stores across the Lower Mainland, along with an online store serving customers across Canada. The company is also preparing to open its first Vancouver Island location in downtown Victoria in January.

Hosh describes his leadership approach as centred on personal and professional growth — starting with himself.

“I believe in people development,” he said. “I try to improve every day and my expectation is for my team to grow every day as well.”

He said Ayoub’s has intentionally built a culture where learning and leadership development are encouraged, allowing team members to grow into greater responsibility.

“When you create the right environment, people can flourish,” Hosh said. “Those who take on that challenge really thrive.”

As Ayoub’s continues to expand within and beyond B.C., Hosh says the company’s goal is to have a positive impact not only on the food industry, but on the communities it serves. The brand is focused on offering fresh, clean-label snacks in contrast to heavily processed grocery-store options, while remaining connected to moments of celebration, he said.

“We’re part of happy memories,” he said. “People buy our products for gatherings, for gifts, for special moments.”

In the long term, Hosh hopes Ayoub’s will be remembered as a business British Columbians can be proud of.

Hosh has some simple but hard-earned advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out: Patience and focus.

“Don’t try to do a thousand things at once,” he said. “Focus on what’s most impactful. When something works, double down on it — and scale your success.”

The 2025 B.C. Forty Under 40 recipients will be formally recognized at a Business in Vancouver gala in February 2026 and will be profiled in a special edition of the magazine.