Experienced Family Team of Home Improvement Experts Brings Footprints Floors to Southern California

The Byrne family — Brian, Matthew, Ally and Kristan — are taking their decades of home improvement experience into the next chapter of their careers as they bring Footprints Floors to Orange County in California. With a history of running successful local businesses, including a 50-year-old glass company, the family was ready for a fresh start while staying true to their roots in home improvement.

After extensive research, the Byrnes chose Footprints Floors for its alignment with their values, as well as its customer-first approach and proven franchise model. The opening marks the first Footprints Floors location in Southern California, and the Byrne family is eager to introduce the brand’s high-quality craftsmanship and exceptional service to the community.

With ambitious expansion plans over the next few years, the Byrne family is laying the groundwork for a flourishing business that serves their local community while building a legacy for future generations.

1851 Franchise spoke to the Byrnes about their franchise journey and plans for the future. Here’s what they had to say.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Ally Byrne: The four of us own a couple of home improvement companies. Brian and Matt currently have a window and door company. My sister-in-law Kristan and I have a glass company here in Orange County. We felt the need to move forward and move on from the glass company; we're currently in the process of selling it to a business partner of ours.

Brian and Matt’s dad’s health is declining. The structure of the company we had together is no longer feasible, so we needed to make a pivot in what we do. We wanted to stick within our wheelhouse of home improvement. We know our customer base very well because we’ve been working in this industry for 20 years. The glass company has been around for 50 years and we’ve owned it for 22 of those years.

We had some money set aside and felt that, since we’re not at retirement age yet, we still wanted to work, provide services to our community and be a part of it. So I did some research on franchises and found Footprints. I looked into the model and the company as a whole and felt like it aligned with our values — our family values, religious values and just home improvement in general.

We did a lot of in-depth calls with the team and found that we were a good fit for each other — it was reciprocal. When we came out and met them for Approval Day, we clicked really well with everyone. I was really impressed with the entire model. The whole franchise model was far beyond any of the others we looked into.

Matthew Byrne: We ran a family business for over 25 years locally. The long story short is that it just ran its course. We had some great memories and good times, but we wanted to try something new. We wanted to stay within a trade — not exactly the same trade, but trades in general — because trades will never go away.

In searching for trades, we found a lot that felt good but didn’t feel right, if that makes sense. Then we stumbled upon Footprints, and the rest is history. I think we wanted to still have our personal freedom while building financial freedom with the support of a huge network of other franchisors, and it just seemed to fit the bill.

Brian Byrne: Before this, we were involved with our glass company. We also have a background in general contracting with my dad that started everything along this path. The glass company ran its course, and we were looking for something to do a little bit differently. Luckily, my wife came across this franchising opportunity and it was hard to pass up. 

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?

Ally: I actually didn’t know much about franchising before we started researching it. I had no idea. I thought franchises were huge corporations, corporate-owned and stuff like that.

The biggest thing I want people to know is that our franchise is a family-owned company. It’s not owned by some huge conglomerate. That’s very important to us. Within this community, we’ve always prided ourselves on having a family-owned company. When people spend their money with us, it doesn’t go to some huge corporate umbrella — it benefits us, our family and our community.

Kristan Byrne: We always felt like franchises weren’t exactly like multi-level marketing — but something along those lines — where you’ve got somebody at the top, and you’re just continuously paying them royalties and all that stuff.

Now, going through the whole process, it’s been amazing — the support, the community, how wonderful everybody is at Footprints. They’ve been very helpful with information and knowledge and genuinely want you to succeed. They’ve got everybody in place for you, from the start-up process to now, just a couple of weeks in. We feel really, really supported.

Brian: Everyone knows the big brands like McDonald's that have franchising available. I just never thought we'd be in this position, but I'm glad we are. It's still along the lines of what we're used to, with owning our own business. We can make sure we can take the time off needed for our family.  I was nervous — there was a lot of unknown — but we are excited. 

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

Ally: I love the business model. Everyone involved is so great and family-oriented. Being able to serve our community and provide knowledge, craftsmanship and quality services to our territories — I’m excited to be a part of this team. To be honest, I feel like anyone who looks into this company — even if they’re not looking to be a franchisee — can see what it does and how it gives back. It’s actually quite humbling. Again, I feel proud and lucky to be a part of it.

Matthew: Running a family business is really important to us, and the culture it provided was great. A lot of people think, “My gosh, I’d kill myself if I had to work with my family,” but we actually thrive in it.

Finding this particular franchise after going through the processes felt just like the way we ran our business. I think that was like a light from God saying, “Do this.” I know there are other types of franchises where they just get you on your way and then that’s it. But with this being a trade, there are lots of things we’re starting to learn that are different from what we’ve done in the past. Having that support group and safety net is paramount.

Kristan: Even meeting everybody when we were there — and then Matt being there for two-and-a-half weeks — it really felt like the right fit. Everybody kind of jived. All of the fears, the unanswered questions and the things we were nervous about went away.

Brian: We have a contracting background, so it felt pretty natural. It felt like it was a good place to land. 

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

Ally: Currently, we want to stay busy and grow. Eventually, we’d like my husband to take on more of a managerial role. We call it a five-to-ten-year plan, where this becomes a little more passive for us as time goes on.

We’d like to grow our territories and eventually cover all of Southern California. That’s our ultimate goal. Right now, we have two territories in Orange County, but we’d like to expand into Eastern California, Northern California and Southern California and make it work for us. We’re prepared to put in a lot of hard work over the next five-to-ten years so this can eventually provide us with passive income as we get closer to retirement.

Matthew: I think the big allure was the semi-passiveness, eventually. We’re hard workers and we know it takes hard work to get a new business off the ground. It wasn’t so much about financial freedom — we already had that — but about doing something on our own.

Kristan: At this stage in our lives, Matt and his brother Brian have always been installers. At this point, they want to step back from that and focus more on project management rather than installation. That’s huge for us. And being the first to open up in Orange County — there isn’t a Footprints in Southern California yet — that kind of growth and branching out is really exciting for us. Starting with two territories and potentially ending up with several more in the future is our goal.

Brian: We want to be successful — that's rule number one — and we want to be a good part of this community and give back. Hopefully, we do really well and we can see where that goes from there. 

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Matthew: The core of it is that our family always comes first. This franchise is very family-forward. We’re all very invested in our kids — their sports, their lives, their school and their emotions. I’ve seen so many friends who don’t have that because they’re constantly traveling and working for someone else. You know, we kind of work for the man, but we also work for ourselves. That’s something we want people to feel — that family comes first. It takes a family to get something like this done.

Kristan: And we’ve been in business for over 20 years, so we’re very customer-service-oriented. We’ve always pushed that as something that sets us apart in our other business. Customers could always find us, always get a hold of us and we always made things right. That kind of customer service aligns perfectly with the culture of this franchise.

Brian: I learned everything I know about work ethic and drive — and how to achieve that — from my dad. I want my kids to know how hard to work and build off of my dad's legacy, so we're just going to do this in his name — his honor — and hopefully build on something bigger than that.

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

Ally: Do your research. Not all franchises offer the support and hand-holding that this one does. There are a lot of franchises that don’t necessarily set you up for success. I looked into several that seemed like they just wanted the fee. They’d offer some training, but it wasn’t personal. 

Just do your homework, because not all franchises are built the same. They all have [Franchise Disclosure Documents], but they don’t all have the values that can make or break your success.

Matthew: Ask a lot of questions during the vetting process. Whether it’s trades, businesses or whatever your franchise is going to be, make sure it fits with your personal core values and beliefs. That’s a huge part of it.

Kristan: I think you definitely need to make sure you fit personality-wise with the powers that be. You definitely want to align your values so that down the road there are no issues. Asking all the questions and making sure that you have support, because we knew nothing about it and it's been months of just questions and answers. I think it's great, but you just need to make sure you do your research and make sure that it's a fit for you and your family. 

Brian: Do your research, and make sure it is the right fit. It's a big step. 

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/.