Footprints Floors’ Youngest Franchisee Opens Location in San Antonio, Texas

At just 28 years old, Eduardo Reyes is opening his own Footprints Floors*, a Denver-based floor installation franchise, in Northern San Antonio, Texas. As the brand’s youngest franchisee, Reyes left the finance industry to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a business owner. 

After graduating from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Reyes planned on becoming a business owner but could never settle on his million-dollar idea. Now enrolled at Texas A&M University and earning his Master’s in Business Administration, the young franchisee is following a model that he is confident that he can replicate for his own success. 

Reyes plans to open his second Footprints Floors location by the end of this year and a third early next year in the San Antonio area. 

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Eduardo Reyes: Before franchising, I was in the finance industry. I worked as the finance sales advisor at a bank for four years and primarily focused on investments, home equities and mortgages. It got to the point where my job started to feel repetitive and the growth opportunities were happening at slow rates. I knew it wasn’t for me anymore, so I decided to stop working at the bank. That’s when a friend of mine — who happens to be a franchise broker — introduced me to Footprints Floors. I started talking with the brand in January of 2020.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising? 

Reyes: I always knew about franchising and wanted to get involved in the industry. For a few years, I attended franchise conferences in Mexico and the U.S. to learn more about the opportunity but I wasn’t ready to make the jump at the time.

1851: Why did you choose franchising over starting your own business?

Reyes: Ever since I graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I was constantly thinking about my million-dollar idea. It was always my end goal to start my own business — it would be a game-changer. I thought about it every day for years and it got to the point where I realized that I was wasting time. I decided to go into franchising because I knew if I followed a model and found a good brand I could be successful. With Footprints Floors, there’s no overhead, no brick-and-mortar store or employees I have to worry about. As a first-time business owner, that was really attractive to me. I looked at current Footprints Floors franchisees’ numbers and was impressed. After meeting with Footprints Floors’ Founder and CEO Bryan Park and the rest of the corporate team I really loved the culture and could see myself growing with the brand.

1851: What other types of brands did you look at?

Reyes: I primarily looked at brands in the service industry including a junk removal brand, a restoration services brand and a tax company.

1851: Why did you choose Footprints Floors? What excited you most about the potential?

Reyes: Once I started speaking with the franchisees, I quickly learned they all had positive things to say about the brand. Meeting with Bryan further sold me on the business model because he’s an open book who isn’t just trying to make a sale — he believes in the brand. Meeting with him and the rest of the corporate team was the last thing I needed to fully get on board. I went through the two-week training in Denver recently and further understood why there are such good things to say about the brand. Footprints Floors gives you the opportunity to grow to a point where you can become a more passive owner while still earning a steady stream of income. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Reyes: My goal is to keep growing. I’d like to open my second location by the end of the year and a third location early next year. I also hope to perform well enough so I can be recognized as one of the top ten — ideally top three — franchisees in the company. 

1851: What value do you see your business providing to San Antonio?

Reyes: In San Antonio, the bar for flooring companies is very low. Most residents deal with companies that don’t call back, don’t show up to the job or even leave before the job is complete. With Footprints Floors, we call the customer back when we say we will, we show up when we say we will and we get the job done while exceeding expectations. It’s reassuring for customers to know that they’re dealing with me, the owner, instead of a crew member or somebody who doesn’t care as much about the brand. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Reyes: Look for a good franchise broker. I got lucky because one of my best friends is a broker. After that, follow the process and don’t try to get ahead of it. Do your due diligence. Talk with other companies, even if you fall in love with one brand. Compare and contrast your options. Once you’re ready don’t be scared and go for it.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Reyes: I love spending time with my parents, my brother and my girlfriend. It’s a very important part of my culture to spend time with family. I also like to play soccer, ride motorcycles and go hunting. I’m a big fan of the San Antonio Spurs and tune into all of their games. Currently, I’m enrolled at Texas A&M University for my MBA and am expecting to graduate in December 2021. Since everything switched to e-learning, I haven’t had much trouble with classwork while opening up Footprints Floors.