Nathan Brown is the proud franchisee of a New Orleans, LA-inspired coffee shop. However, he didn’t grow up as a coffee consumer. Instead, the graduate of Indiana’s Ball State University developed the interest while working for a Big Four accounting firm, which he described as a “grind house.” “Working late hours pretty regularly, a part of the culture developed into a habit, and I became an avid coffee drinker,” Brown, 33, told AFROTECH in an interview. “As the years went by, I got more into quality. So, I started off getting any sugared-down caffeine I could find. Then, I graduated to drinking black coffee. Then, I started to be able to decipher the taste of coffee.” Brown moved from Indiana to Texas in 2015 and became a homeowner four years later. While living in Third Ward, a neighborhood in Houston, TX, he discovered the nearest coffee shop was a 15-minute drive. He then felt led to open a coffee shop closer to home, and it became possible with the help of a family member and...

A Subway in Georgia is now under the ownership of this history-making Black woman! Blackbusiness.com reports that Asia Thomas is now the first Black woman to own a Subway franchise in Duluth, GA. As a single mother of three, she says that this is only the beginning. “I’m definitely going to buy more,” she said. “I would feel like a quitter if I didn’t buy more.”

When franchisor Hakika Wise — founder of Kika Stretch Studios — set out to establish her many stretching studios across the country, she had a mindset of being a boss who also helps build others up to achieve boss status too. As one of the first Black women franchisors in the world, Wise knew she had stumbled across something historic in growing her business. However, she knew the work didn’t stop there. With very few Black and brown franchisors, Wise took it upon herself to use her business as a vessel to encourage others to join her on the path to becoming self-made business-owners. As AfroTech previously reported, Wise’s idea to start her own franchise of stretch studios was fueled by her desire to stand out in the business world with a concept not many others were invested in. Through her unique stretching technique and chain of studios, Wise has been able to prove just how lucrative the fitness and wellness industry is. Not only has she helped thousands of people improve their...

Although the median age for franchise owners is between 45-54-years-old, according to statistics, this new franchise owner doesn’t seem to fall in that category. Skyler Blacknall, 31, belongs to a unique group of entrepreneurs who are able to secure the capital needed to get started at a young age. Blacknall recently purchased his first Smoothie King located in Forth Worth, TX, and is currently negotiating his second with the ultimate goal of owning a total of 25 locations. “I’ve always been big on health, so that drove the decision,” he told Black Enterprise. “I lost my mother, my brother, and my cousin all to different health-related issues, so in a way, my career choice is also a dedication to them as well. I researched different brands and healthy concepts prior to making my decision. I knew that with an investment this size, [it] had to be something I could stand by.” Blacknall also opens up about the difficulty in finding plant-based options in Texas. “As someone with a...