When it comes to seeking interesting and affordable franchise opportunities, this isn’t Cory Cummings’ first rodeo! As a seasoned Franchise Owner who operated five Firehouse Subs locations at one point, Cory already knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. As one of our newest Franchise Owners, Cory shared with us what made him decide that Footprints Floors was the right franchise opportunity to help him begin a new adventure with his wife and kids in Birmingham, Alabama.

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your personal and professional background?

My wife is Sarah Cummings and my children are Ethan (age 5) and Eve (age 3). We met in Pueblo, Colorado while she was going to nursing school and I was working for Target in supply chain services. The Lord then took me to Tucson, Arizona for two years and it solidified that Sarah was the woman I wanted to marry. 

The day we got back from our honeymoon, we moved back to Colorado and started working on opening the first of our Firehouse Subs franchises. Over the next 10 years, we would build a total of three restaurants and acquire two restaurants. That brings us to the Footprints Floors franchise and the opportunity to move our family from Denver to Birmingham, Alabama, where Sarah grew up and has her family. 

What are your personal hobbies or interests? 

When I am not working I love to ride motocross, and having my son turn 5 years old meant getting him a bike and taking him to the track with me. When we are at home I also enjoy woodworking. When I am around water I enjoy fishing but you never want to go with me because I don’t do a lot of catching….

How did you first learn about Footprints Floors?

When I was in the process of selling my restaurant businesses, the broker we were using in the transaction learned what I wanted to change about owning my own business. One day while casually discussing businesses, he mentioned Footprints Floors as a concept that might cure some of the frustrations I had before.

Why is Footprints Floors the right fit for you?

There are several reasons. First is the low overhead and ease of market entry. The ability to have some control over my schedule and allow me to have time to set aside for my family was a big attraction. Getting into another retail-type situation was 100% unappealing. Lastly, I could run the business by myself if I wanted to, which I don’t. But I feel I can be much more selective about who works for me and the retention is much better than the retail/restaurant world. 

What did you like about the Footprints Floors Discovery Day? 

I liked the amount of time that I was able to spend with (Founder) Bryan (Park). I understand that when you are selling a franchise you can only say certain things from a legal perspective, and he allowed me to pepper him with questions from various perspectives to get the understanding I wanted.

What did you like about meeting the Footprints Floors corporate team?

I felt like we just see things similarly and our overall worldviews agree. It excites me to be in a franchise early in the process. I hope I am able to help steer and contribute to the overall franchise community.  

What has been the best part of your experience with the Footprints Floors’ corporate team so far?  

So, a Big Mac’s “secret sauce” is Thousand Island and everybody knows it, but it’s like an open secret.  However, you would definitely notice if your Big Mac didn’t have Thousand Island. From what I have seen, (office manager) Debbie (Melkonian) is the Thousand Island for Footprints!

Cory Cummings with his wife Sarah and kids Ethan (5) and Eve (3).

What drives you to be an entrepreneur?

I am a fourth-generation business owner. So it really is the only thing I saw growing up. Now that I have left one franchise I had a meeting with a gentleman who helps people make career changes. After an hour of discussions, he told me that he calls people like myself “chronically unemployable,” meaning that I struggle to work for other people and I struggle even more punching a clock. He told me that I needed to find something to do for myself or work for such a small company that I would basically be running it from Day One.

What do you think will make you successful? 

When I was a kid and I went to work with my dad at his business, he told me that to own a business you don’t need to be an expert at any one thing but rather you need to know a little bit about everything and then where to go find the rest of the answers. He worked on teaching me how to “figure it out” when things would not go as planned. That came in handy when I owned multiple restaurants. I did everything from IT support, security system installations and monitoring, HR, financial management, equipment handyman, marketing, and team development. 

Being able to do a little bit of everything has allowed me to make balanced decisions and consider various aspects of our business when implementing policy.

What sets Footprints Floors apart, in your eyes, from other franchise opportunities in the Service Industry?   

From the customer’s perspective, it would be professionalism. From a Franchise Owner perspective, it’s the cost of entry and ROI, and the ability to be able to work as hard I want to and be able to prioritize my family. 

What do you look forward to most about owning your own Footprints Floors franchise?  

In my wife’s words, “You need a job where you can be a professional friend to people. Footprints Floors might give you that.”

We’re thrilled to welcome Cory as one of the newest members of the Footprints Floors franchise family, and look forward to seeing him gain success as a Franchise Owner in Birmingham!

If you’re looking for a recession-resilient, affordable franchise opportunity that allows you to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, Franchise Owners like Cory Cummings can tell you that Footprints Floors ticks all the boxes! Visit our franchise website to learn more.

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