Another Year With More Craft Beer

We added 15 new franchise owners, some with multiple units in nine territories in nine states, including Texas, Indiana, and Tennessee, among many others across  the country.

We also collected some hardware along the way by being called a 2022 Top New & Emerging Franchise by Entrepreneur.com. So, yeah, we know what we’re doing.

But enough of us and how awesome our beer franchise brand is. Let’s get to know a few of our newest Voodoo Brewing Co. Franchise Owners.

Meet the Leos! 

We are so excited to announce two of our newest Franchise Owners in Leisa and Vinny Leo! They left their day jobs because their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, was lacking in quality craft beer. 

As a couple with a great passion for craft beer and entrepreneurship, it’s hard to find a better Voodoo Beer Franchise Owner fit than the Leos. Leisa and Vinny’s early background in the restaurant industry and the experience they’ve gained throughout their professional careers make them eager to begin the newest chapter of their lives as co-Owners of Knoxville’s future favorite craft brewpub.

But first, who the heck are the Leos?

For over two decades, Vinny has honed his professional background in the life science industry’s IT compliance and controls sector. He is looking forward to bringing the unique experience he has acquired to his new role as a Voodoo brewpub Franchise Owner!

His lovely wife, Leisa, has been focused on her dedicated career as a certified public accountant (CPA). After spending nearly 15 years in one of the most important roles of all—being a mother. In Leisa’s words, opening a Voodoo craft beer franchise is a great chance to work with Vinny as her partner both in life and in business, and she sees their new business venture as a chance to reignite her passion for learning. And what better thing to learn about than craft beer?

They Didn’t Need Restaurant Experience… But They Have It

One of the most common questions the franchise leadership team at Voodoo gets asked is if a potential franchisee needs any restaurant experience to own and operate a brew pub. And the answer is not really. In fact, many of our current Franchise Owners come from different walks of life without a shred of restaurant or bar industry experience before Voodoo. It helps, but it isn’t necessary. However, the Leos’ previous restaurant experience will go a long way toward their success as craft beer Franchise Owners!

Their restaurant experience started a long time ago. Leisa and Leo have done everything from bussing positions and servers to management roles. The Leos are confident that they’ll be able to apply their vast knowledge of the inner workings of a restaurant to the successful management of their Voodoo brewpub. Since our simple franchise business model eliminates a LOT of the typical headaches of running a bar or restaurant, keeping staff to a minimum with our European beer-hall style of service, Leisa and Vinny will be able to avoid some of the issues they surely remember from their days working at restaurants!

Passion & Commitment

We believe integrating passion with business acumen is an essential mix- the “special sauce” that makes our pubs different from those cheesy, cookie-cutter bar chains out there. With their real-world business experience and genuine passion for what Voodoo has to offer its customers, Vinny and Leisa bring this core value to life. According to the couple, one of their greatest inspirations for wanting to own a franchise was having control over the business process.

It’s essential for Franchise Owners to love and appreciate a brand as much before investing. With such a passion for the brand and business model, we can’t wait to see the new heights Vinny and Leisa take us to with their Voodoo pub franchise!

Good luck in Rocky Top, Vinny and Leisa!

Goodbye to their 9 to 5s

What are the faces of a couple of people who told their traditional corporate jobs to kick rocks and bet on themselves? 

Meet Fahad and Manal Keen, the couple bringing Voodoo Brewing Company’s refreshing craft brews to Dallas, Texas. 

We’re so excited to see that they are making Voodoo part of their life, and we can’t wait to share their fascinating journey with you.

What’s Their Deal?

Manal spent the last 15+ years in the financial services industry. She ran strategy and finance in three sectors throughout her career: real estate, treasury/investment, and wealth management. About a year and a half ago, she left her corporate job to pursue her passions and become a teacher, becoming the first woman at the University of North Texas at Dallas to teach finance classes at the school. 

Her husband, Fahad, spent the last 15 years in business operations, analysis, and data. He is passionate about making an impact on his local community. In his free time, he coaches youth sports and plays sports himself.

Time for New Careers

When you’re in the market for a new career or a lifestyle change, you have at least one “Ah Ha” moment.

When we asked them what made them choose Voodoo Brewing Co., Manal explained, “When I was leaving my corporate job, I wanted to do something in a different niche: helping communities, bringing people together. I didn’t wanna go back to 9-5.”

So, her husband helped her research and ran across our Voodoo Brewing Co. Franchise video on YouTube. The video flowed with why she left her corporate job. Fahad called her to the computer and told her, “you need to watch this; they sound like you.”

Manal could see that we also want to bring people together and create a safe haven for people to come together and enjoy themselves. That shared belief is what led them to seal the deal with the Voodoo craft beer franchise.

Onwards & Upwards

If you’re tired of the corporate chaos, the 9-5, or the ongoing commute of agony you need to endure to work towards someone else’s dream: It may be a sign to start looking at other career opportunities, the same way Fahad and Manal did.

“Many people leave corporate jobs because of culture goals you want for yourself to match up with a franchise if you’re new to business ownership, a franchise is almost like a guard rail taking a risk, but you have support. Having a foundation helps build knowledge and take away some risk.”

We know Fahad and Manal will be another Voodoo Brewing success story. They took a leap of faith coming to us. They said goodbye to their 9-5 and jumped head first into a pool of entrepreneurship. However, there’s nothing for them to worry about because we’re going to be their “guardrail” every step of the way.

Cheers to the newest Voodoo-ers!

With Voodoo Brewing, he’ll do more than build a pub franchise he can be proud of. He’ll create memories and start a new and different journey than what he’s been doing the last few years.

Outside of Voodoo, David is a workout fanatic, a lifelong learner, and a devoted husband and father! Now that he’s a Franchise Owner, we can say he’s the complete package!

David, Meet Voodoo, Voodoo, Meet David

We met David at our Discovery Day event, and we immediately knew this would be a match made in Heaven. And, surprise! He knew it too.

Our corporate team embodies everything it means to be part of Voodoo Brewing Co. If you mesh with them, you mesh with Voodoo. That’s just how it works! Our team is passionate about what they do and wants to see Franchise Owners succeed. When we asked David what he liked about the corporate team, he mentioned, “The genesis of the concept, the journey that has been taken, and the passion they have for the product.”

“Touring the brewing facility and getting educated on the process, seeing how they invest in equipment for growth and the future, touring the individual brewery locations, and tasting the menu and the liquid.” If we had to guess, we’re sure tasting the menu and the liquid was his favorite part, but we appreciate him mentioning the rest!

See You, David, and Others in 2023!

We know David will be successful with us because he embodies the three most important attributes: drive, determination, and grit. He’s got everything he needs to be successful with us, and we can’t wait to see the mark he leaves on Indianapolis, Indiana. If you’re in the area, stop by, meet David, and see if becoming a craft beer Franchise Owner is the right option for you! David has one piece of advice for anyone interested: “Do research, ask questions, do Discovery Day and enjoy the ride.”

We’d love to keep going, but we’re so pumped for David and what he’s bringing to Indianapolis that we’re going to cut it short, crack open a Voodoo Love Child, and raise one up to Indy’s newest brew pub.

Ready to find out if Voodoo Brewing Co. is a good fit for you and your goals? Request more information today.