NET CAFE OFF AND RUNNING PLANET CYBER HAS WORLDWIDE AIMS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

CANOGA PARK - Like the Web their customers surf on, Michael Omranian and Jobin Saghezi see their firm spreading worldwide.

The founders of PlaNet Cyber currently run one cyber cafe, which celebrated its grand opening Monday on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. By the week's end, their chain will double in size, with a second opening in La Mirada.

But that's just the beginning - the duo hopes to open 50 within a year and harbors notions of franchising across the world.

``It's like a Kinko's on steroids,'' said Saghezi, the firm's technological director. ``You can come here, get a cup of coffee, print and go online. We're trying to be as well-rounded as possible. It's a multilevel business, coffee house, entertainment center and educational center.''

Blake Murphy, a 23 year-old salesman based in Canoga Park, dropped by Monday morning for the entertainment aspect, laying siege to a pack of orcs in ``WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos.''

``I'm just killin' time before work,'' he said. ``It'll get pretty crazy when you get a whole room full of people in here. They'll all be screaming and yelling.''

The two entrepreneurs first got the notion after a European trip in 1999, where they were agog over huge rooms filled wall-to-wall with hundreds of Internet terminals configured for Web surfing and network games. Upon their return, they tried their luck, launching their own cafe, Cyber Gaming, in 2000. Charging an hourly fee, $3.50 for nonmembers, $2.50 for those who've paid the $10 fee for users to log on, they were able to recoup their investment within a year.

But the pair dreamed of something larger, so they expanded their original spot to their current 2,500-square-foot headquarters and researched franchising strategies. To attain the growth their business plan aims for, they want to open a mix of franchises and company-owned stores. Omranian estimates a franchise could be launched for $170,000, with sales clearing $40,000 per month with both the computers and cafe segments running optimally.

``It's a great business, and if I'm making good money, why shouldn't other people?'' he said. ``We want to be all over the world, and I can't personally be all over the world, so this seemed like the best way to do it.''

The growing popularity of the industry, and the violence sometimes connected to it, raised concerns among the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles City Council. In conjunction with the LAPD, Councilman Dennis Zine's office is working to develop standards for the currently unregulated businesses.

``Just like serving alcohol to minors or cigarettes to minors, there needs to be reasonable regulations so kids can't be there during school hours,'' Zine said. ``After school, we want to make sure it's safe there, as well.''

Gang violence and tensions stemming from the competitive, gun-heavy games led the LAPD to keep a close eye on the sites across the Valley.

``We've had a number of problems around cyber cafes, even a homicide last year,'' said Capt. Joseph Curreri of the LAPD's Devonshire area, referring to a fatal shooting last July outside the NetStreet Internet Cafe in Northridge. ``The problem is most of them are in these strip malls where everything's closed at 10 p.m., and they're open until 3 a.m., which is when people start having problems. They say it's for college students working on projects, but it's more people playing these kill-'em-up games.''

While PlaNet Cyber has the intense multiplayer games with titles like ``Counter-Strike'' and ``Medal of Honor: Allied Assault,'' and stays open until 3 a.m. as well, its proprietors claim they have a safer environment. Security cameras scrutinize gamers' moves and the game area will be walled off from the rest of the business machines.

To further differentiate itself, PlaNet Cyber also offers courses in Web design, basic computing and repair. The five-week Web classes, regularly available for $1,995, aim to lend a credibility to the cafes beyond just aimless teen hangouts.

``It's really important that the business isn't just about the games,'' said master teacher Brian Bullock. ``It's about the community, a place the young folks can go, and while they're here, we want to be educational, as well.''

Omranian and Saghezi figure this combination of technological interests will whet investors' appetites. They won't discuss specifics, citing confidentiality, but say several more should open in Southern California soon, the first stop on what they hope is a trip across the globe.

``We're running really hard to get to where we need to be,'' Omranian said. ``We'll get 50 this year, then 150 per year after that. We want to get people to use computers the same way they'd use a toaster or a microwave.''

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(color) Peymon Nasseri, Robin Saghezi and Blake Murphy, from left, play games Monday at the opening of PlaNet Cyber, a cyber cafe whose owners, Michael Omranian and Jobin Saghezi, plan to open a second cyber cafe in La Mirada, followed by 48 more within a year.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer