Founders Story
Farmer Boys® is a true family business. The restaurant was created by the five Havadjias brothers, who were raised on the island of Cyprus where they grew food on the family farm and worked in the family restaurant. During the 1970s, Makis, Harry and Chris Havadjias moved to California and gained hands-on experience in hamburger restaurants and coffee shops. By the 1980s, Demetris and George had joined their three brothers. The first Farmer Boys – a combination coffee shop and hamburger restaurant- opened in Perris, California in 1981.
Their original creation, the Farmer’s Burger®, earned instant acclaim from critics and customers alike and in 1986 the brothers opened a second restaurant in Orange County. The Farmer Boys chain was born. By 1997, with eight successful restaurants in operation, the Havadjias brothers decided to grow their business through franchising, and the first franchise location opened in 1999.
Since that day, the Farmer Boys family has expanded to include dozens of restaurants across Southern and Central California and in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, all five brothers sit on the Farmer Boys Board of Directors. Together, they continue to guide the future of their family business, which has grown from humble beginnings to well-earned success. The Havadjias brothers are proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Farmer Boys in 2011.
Executive Management Team
Demetris Havadjias
Chief Executive Officer
CEO of Farmer Boys Food, Inc. and one of the founders of the chain. Demetris started his Farmer Boys® career at the original Farmer Boys® restaurant on the 215 Freeway in Perris, and has been involved in the opening of every location since. As CEO, he oversees the operation of the entire Farmer Boys® chain.
Ken Clark
President / Chief Operations Officer
Ken Clark joined Farmer Boys Food, Inc. in January of 2006 as President and COO after leaving his post at El Pollo Loco, where he had been Vice President of Operations.
In his sixteen year career with El Pollo Loco, he served as Director of Real Estate and Franchise Development, Director of Operations, and Vice President of Company Operations. Prior to his experience with El Pollo Loco, Ken served as Real Estate Manager for Mobil Oil Corporation, and Vice President of Development at Winchell’s Donut House.
Kevin Kelly
Vice President of Operations
Kevin joined Farmer Boys in January 2007. He currently leads all facets of operations and training including company operations, franchise operations, operational development, field training and corporate training. Prior to joining Farmer Boys Kevin was Director of Operational Systems at Jack in the Box. His previous restaurant experience also includes Director of Operations and Training at Rubio’s Restaurants, Inc. and Vice President of Operations at Mr. Gatti’s Inc. in Austin, TX.
Kevin received his bachelor’s degree in business and master’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego in San Diego, Calif.
Kristy Foster
Director of Purchasing
Kristy Foster joined Farmer Boys Food, Inc. as Procurement Specialist in October of 2004, and was promoted to the position of Director of Purchasing in January, 2008. Prior to joining the Farmer Boys family, Kristy provided accounting and IT systems support for Swift Produce, Inc. for 14 years. During the last five years of her tenure with Swift Produce, Inc., the added responsibility of sales representation afforded her the opportunity to provide vendor services to Farmer Boys, beginning with their first franchise restaurant.
Judy Lewis
Chief Financial Officer
Judy Lewis joined the Farmer Boys team on June 2011. She most recently served as controller of retail operations for Stater Bros. Markets. Judy holds a bachelor’s degree from University of California at Los Angeles and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. In addition to 12 years with Stater Bros., Lewis has held finance positions with Denny’s Inc. and the University of California, Riverside, and worked several years as a corporate finance consultant.
Camille Chavez
Director of Training
Camille Chavez joined the Farmer Boys team in January of 2008, where she currently heads up all restaurant training initiatives and food safety implementations. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Camille has worked in the restaurant industry for many years with leadership roles for multiple brands in areas of operations, training and food safety assurance.