Young Entrepreneur Juan Caputi Launches Footprints Floors Franchise in Delray Beach, Florida, at 24

At just 24 years old, Juan Caputi is taking a major leap into entrepreneurship with the opening of his first Footprints Floors territory in Florida’s Central Gold Coast. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Caputi’s journey has taken him from a semester abroad in Australia to a golf scholarship in Pittsburgh, to a master's degree in finance at Florida Atlantic University. With encouragement and mentorship from his godfather, Juan Carlos Hernandez — owner of Footprints Floors South San Jose — Caputi decided to follow a new path and launch his own business. “It just kind of seemed perfect and the idea of having my own business was just very exciting,” Caputi said.

Caputi had no prior experience in flooring but was drawn to Footprints Floors after seeing firsthand how franchising could create real opportunities. “I don’t think I chose Footprints Floors — I think I was aligned to be with Footprints Floors,” he said. “It just kind of aligned itself and chose me, is how I like to see it.” Now preparing for a May 19 opening, Caputi hopes to eventually expand into new territories, build a team, and prioritize strong personal relationships with his customers every step of the way.

1851 Franchise spoke with Caputi about his inevitable franchising journey with Footprints Floors and his ambitious plans for future growth. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Caputi: My story has always been to start and figure it out as you go — just kind of send myself out there. I'm originally from Bogotá, Colombia. I was born there and lived there until I was 15. When I was 15, I wanted to test my English, so I did a semester abroad in Australia for about eight months. That was pretty cool. It was definitely a challenge, but it was awesome — one of the best experiences.

Once I came back, I was around 16 years old, and I knew I wanted to study abroad. I started practicing golf very seriously and got to a point where I was very good, and it earned me a scholarship to college in Pittsburgh. The way I did it was by taking a YouTube video of myself playing golf and sending it to as many coaches as I could. I got a couple of offers, which was pretty awesome. One ended up working out. I went to Pittsburgh for school — another big change for me. That was a very different culture.

After I graduated from college, I wanted to work in something I loved, which was golf. I worked there for three years in the luxury, high-end golf club scene. But I knew I wanted something more from my life. I wanted to own something. I have a godfather who owns a territory in California, and he’s very close to me. I've seen his growth over the last year and a half, and it made me start looking into the possibility of having my own business, managing myself and having the opportunity to grow something bigger than I could ever imagine. That’s what drove me to start the franchise and get going.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Caputi: While I was working in golf, I was an assistant golf professional. I was giving lessons, helping members get their golf clubs and helping with everyday operations. I wasn’t very satisfied. Golf was always my passion, but it didn’t really translate to working in it.

In August 2023, I enrolled in a master's program in finance. My undergrad had been economics and psychology, and I wanted to study behavioral economics. I loved finance, and attending FAU gave me the opportunity to learn more about evaluating businesses, seeing their financial health and understanding their trajectory. Once I graduated, I wanted to apply that knowledge in real life.

You have business analyst roles at bigger banks, but that just didn’t appeal to me. I wasn’t going to get the interaction I wanted. So, I started working for my godfather — pretty much for free — managing his financial side and trying to find ways we could improve. After a while, he said, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about starting a new territory. I don’t know if I want to do it here in California or maybe in Florida, where you are. It has potential.”

It just clicked. I had spent two years learning about businesses in school, and this was my opportunity to use that knowledge and build something. It seemed perfect. And the idea of having my own business was very exciting.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Caputi: Before you dive into the world of franchising, you kind of get the idea that franchising is mostly your McDonald’s or your KFC — your super big chains that are just trying to expand as much as they can, and it’s just massive overproduction. You think it’s a very strict regime where you have to follow exactly what they tell you.

But now that I’ve been diving in, even just through Footprints, you hear how there are businesses like ProSource that are franchises too. It’s very cool to see how a business that was very successful in Denver was able to expand nationwide through franchising.

[Footprints Floors CEO] Brian [Park] doesn’t really know me — I mean, he knows a little bit about me — but he trusts that I’m going to try to elevate my business. He’s not giving me guardrails I have to stay inside. That part of franchising is what I want people to know: It not only allows you to manage your own business, but it also gives you a head start compared to someone starting from scratch. It's a nice boost. It’s your own business — you don’t have guardrails, and you don’t have to start from the ground.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Caputi: To be honest with you, I did not know much about flooring. If you asked me two months ago, I probably couldn’t tell you a lot. Now, I can tell you a lot more because I’ve been diving into it.

I don’t think I chose Footprints Floors — I think I was aligned to be with Footprints Floors. I didn’t look into it before my godfather worked with them. Everything just aligned: I was graduating with my master’s, my godfather had two years of operations under his belt, and it all just kind of lined up. When my friends ask me, “Why are you in flooring?” I tell them I wouldn’t have thought I would be either. It’s not something I had planned — it just kind of aligned itself and chose me, is how I like to see it.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Caputi: I’m writing a business plan right now. My idea is 100% to grow it. I don’t want to stay in one territory. I’m very young, and I have a lot of opportunity. The territory I’m in already shows a lot of potential, and it’s still growing.

When you talk about West Palm Beach — the territory above me — that’s the next one I want to acquire. I know it’s a very good territory, and I know a lot of people there. So, that’s my idea: When the demand is enough, I’ll pull the trigger on a second territory.

I also want to be able to employ people. I want to find someone I see potential in and mentor them. I've always had a mentor-mentee mindset. When I was playing golf, when I was studying economics — I always sought out a mentor. I want to be able to one day send a new salesperson to Denver for training, see them go through the same mistakes I’m going through now, and guide them through it.

And thanks to my previous employment, I have access to a very luxurious and private golf club in West Palm Beach. I met a lot of members there who are still good friends. Ideally, once I establish my business, I’d love to work on higher-end projects for that network when the time is right.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Caputi: I think I’m a person who loves finances and loves seeing my business grow, but at the same time, I’m very humble and calm. I take everything one step at a time. I don't want to be the wealthiest man on the planet. That’s not who I am.

If there’s something I want my customers to know, it’s that I will always value the personal relationship more than anything else. That comes first for me, and I won’t step over anyone to get ahead.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Caputi: I would tell people to believe in themselves. It’s very scary when everything is perfectly set up for you to succeed, but the beginning is still tough. I’m sure it’s going to be tough for me too.

Footprints does a great job of giving you so much information — everything is already set up to the point where you should be able to grab that bike and start riding. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. I keep telling myself to take it one step at a time. I have a to-do list that's 36 things long, but I’m taking it one at a time.

I’m very young. I know I don’t have a lot of experience yet, but there’s only one way to get it — by doing it. So, believe in yourself and just keep going.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/footprintsfloors.

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS:

Upon his return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication. So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 150 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics. For more information about the Franchise Times Top 500 brand, visit https://footprintsfranchise.com/.