Meet the Newest Voodoo Brewing Co. Owners!
We’re excited to announce that we have two new Voodoo Brewing Co. Franchise Owners to introduce you to! Meet Chris and Lacole Rudin. These two are passionate and driven individuals ready to turn their dream into reality by opening up one of our newest locations in Ponte Vedra, Florida. We’re excited to see their new Voodoo brewpub location thrive in this location, and we’re sure they are on their way to becoming the hometown heroes of their community.
Once everything was signed, sealed, and delivered: We had the pleasure to get to know them better and learn about this sudden career change from a corporate employee to a business owner.
Let’s take a closer look at their journey to Voodoo Brewing Co. and owning their very brewpub franchise:
Get to Know Chris and Lacole Rudin
Chris graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Alabama and has worked in the hospitality industry in some facet for most of his life. He’s taken on many different roles in every side of the hospitality industry, such as equipment sales, management, and operations. He’s run and helped open casual and upscale casual concepts in the Southeast and is currently the VP of Sales of the largest food service equipment manufacturer in the country.
Outside of his professional career, Chris loves watching sports with the guys and spending time with his best friend in the world, Lacole, and their two awesome kids. When Lacole and Chris have free time, they love to try out new independent restaurants with a diverse food and beverage selection.
The Path to Entrepreneurship
Chris has spent most of his professional career on the corporate side of the hospitality industry with the logistical and operations side of the business. When they were ready to seal the deal with us, we had to know where the change of heart came from. Chris explained, “Being in corporate America becomes more or less a rat race daily. I wanted to be able to take the knowledge and skills I’ve developed for 15+ years in the corporate world and put them into something that I can call my own, with the added experience and collaboration with Voodoo Brewing Co. only making it more of a perfect match.”
Chris has spent over 15+ years in the hospitality industry, fine-tuning his talents and getting a clearer understanding of the hospitality industry as a whole. We’re sure he can use the skills he’s learned throughout the years to provide a next-level customer experience to his future Voodoo Brewing Co. customers and create something he and Lacole can be proud of in the near future.
Accidentally Finding Voodoo
We strongly believe their run-in with Voodoo was no accident. However, when we asked Chris how he found Voodoo he explained:
“Strangely enough, I was trying to find out who did the artwork for that “other Voodoo brand.” and then I clicked on the Voodoo Love Child graphic and realized there was a difference. I went to the website and started to just get ingrained with all the information on Voodoo, which led to lots of Vimeo videos, and needless to say, I was hooked and had to be a part of this.”
Just a good ol’ fashion case of fate!
The Voodoo Franchise Business Model
Our business model is unlike any other franchise or brewery on the market. We’ve spent years building the perfect model for our Franchise Owners. When we asked Chris and Lacole what they liked about our business structure, they stated, “The unwillingness to settle for the status quo in the industry. They bring a true passion to perfect their craft and create the best quality craft beer and upscale pub fare in the space.”
Outside of that, they loved the atmosphere, the lean staff, and not having to deal with cumbersome brewing equipment. Which is what we are all about. Once we learned these two were obsessed with our craft, we knew they were definitely Voodoo material.
Attending Voodoo Discovery Day
We had the pleasure of meeting Chris and Lacole in person at our Discovery Day. Discover Day is when we get potential Franchise Owners together to learn the Voodoo way. They get to meet the corporate team, learn more about what we’re all about, and of course… taste the delicious food and brew.
When we met Chris and Lacole at Discovery Day, we knew they were the perfect cultural fit for our brand. They fit the mold for what we look for in a Franchise Owner. They were energized and excited about the opportunities. Chris mentioned, “From seeing where the beer is made, to seeing the different pubs and layouts, getting the chance to speak to a variety of people that work at Voodoo, experience the great liquid, food, and good vibes that Voodoo is all about.”
Advice to Future Franchise Owners
We’ll be the first to admit: It’s not always easy to break out of the 9-5. However, we knew that future Franchise Owners would find Chris and Lacole’s story inspiring and help push them closer to their dreams as business owners.
If you’re considering taking the next step with Voodoo, listen to their advice: “Do your due diligence research, trust and enjoy the process, have humility, and communicate with everyone you can (corporate team, development team, current franchisees) and have an open mindset about the entire journey and soak up all the knowledge you can.”
Next time you’re in Ponte Vedra, Florida: Stop by and say hello to Chris and Lacole for us!
If you’re interested in learning more about Voodoo Brewing Co., Request more information today.