Raintree Announces Linton Dowling as Winner of its ‘Pathways to Entrepreneurship’ Program

Raintree, the industry-leading franchise sales and marketing company, is honoring its dedicated team by helping one of its staff members buy a franchise from Raintree partner Voodoo Brewing Co., the rapidly-growing craft beer franchise. 

Raintree is built around both the power of entrepreneurship and the strength of a great franchise concept. Every year, the Raintree team pays respect to those core values through its “Pathways to Entrepreneurship” program. The program rewards employees who show excellence in serving the brands they represent by assisting them with franchising fees and supplemental investments so those employees can open their own franchises. 

"The Pathways program, where we watch our colleagues become Franchise Owners of Raintree brands, is extremely exciting for us,” said Raintree president Mike Edwards. “They significantly increase their professional skill sets, while creating a long-term financial asset. It's a gamechanger for the recipient, but also for Raintree and for the franchise brand they choose."

This year, as part of the “Pathways to Entrepreneurship” program, the team is excited to help Raintree marketing director Linton Dowling achieve his dream of opening a Voodoo Brewing location in Denver.

“I chose to invest in Voodoo Brewery first and foremost because I love good beer. A big part of any business investment is taking pride in what you offer the customer,” said Dowling. “As a beer lover, it feels pretty cool to be an owner of a group that offers the best beers in this country.”

As part of the Raintree sales team, Dowling has already been helping the Voodoo Brewery brand grow through franchising since late last year. Currently, Voodoo Brewery has seven corporate-owned locations, two open franchise units and 25 under development in ten states. This year, when Dowling decided to invest in the franchise himself, he found himself drawn to many of the same benefits and differentiators he was used to sharing with prospective owners.

“For one, there is definitely going to be pent-up demand in the craft beer industry,” said Dowling. “I work with many different franchises, and it is clear a lot of people are realizing the importance of going out and socializing. I knew Voodoo would allow me to not only offer the best beer to my community, but also to get involved myself. I’ve been with Raintree now for almost four years, so this gives me the opportunity to get out from behind the desk and be out in the community. I am a very sociable person — I used to wash dishes and serve beers back in Australia — and I was really missing that experience. It just so happens that filling the demand for great customer experiences also gives me the chance to do something I love.” 

As a franchisee, Dowling says he also gets to work even closer with the Voodoo Brewery team, which includes president Jake Voelker and founder Matteo Rachocki.

“We work with many passionate owners across so many verticals at Raintree,” said Dowling. “When you get on the call with the Voodoo team, you see right away the passion they have for serving the best beer. They care about how the Voodoo brand is appreciated in the community. The team does such a great job at being brand representatives and giving a damn. At Raintree, we believe that if you can surround yourself with people who you want to have a beer with, you are doing it right.”

Dowling says he hopes to personally open at least three or four Voodoo Brewery locations in Denver. But from a big picture, franchise development perspective, Dowling says the sky’s the limit for Voodoo Brewery. 

“There is no community that should exist without a great brew pub,” Dowling said. “There are a lot of crappy bars and a lot of fancy breweries, but there is nothing in between in terms of price and experience. We are looking to take over some really big markets, and Voodoo Brewery currently has the largest pipeline of qualified candidates in Raintree’s history. There is a lot of demand out there, and I am excited to help the brand grow the right way, both as a franchise development partner and as a passionate franchise owner myself.”

To learn more about Raintree, visit https://raintreesales.com/