It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
His coffee franchise’s parent company is Kona Ice founded by Tony Lamb.
Burns said Lamb told him he was “the youngest one to ever get a franchise” from the firm.
His path to becoming an entrepreneur began in his nursing program’s psychology class at FGCU when he realized that nursing wasn’t the career for him.
“I always wanted to be a nurse,” he said, explaining that he chose FGCU because of its nursing program and the fact it was in an area where his family chose to relocate from their native Cincinnati.
But after realizing what the profession entailed, he sought to find another path for his future.
After consulting with his parents, he decided to pursue the one thing in which he had experience — working for a Kona Ice company franchise like he had done in Ohio while a high school student.
But this time he wanted to own his own franchise, and his mother agreed to co-sign the loan, as Burns was 18 at the time; he turns 19 this month.
From then, things moved quickly, he said.
After putting down $20,000 and financing the rest to purchase his own truck, which cost less than $200,000, Burns took possession of the vehicle in Florence, Kentucky, where corporate headquarters is located.
Burns said he plans to expand his Travelin Tom’s Coffee of Punta Gorda business and enter more territories.
His current franchise includes the territory of Estero up to Siesta Key, including all of Charlotte County.
Including Burns’ franchise purchase, Kona Ice now has close to 300 Travelin Tom’s Coffee trucks across the U.S.
Although Lamb started with Kona Ice, whose trucks number some 2,200, it soon became apparent that coffee trucks offering about 30 different hot, cold and iced drinks are viable year-round, since demand for the ices drops in cold weather, Burns pointed out.
Lamb’s instinct to offer coffee truck franchises proved true, as Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck franchises are increasing in number, Burns said.
His business plan is to buy more franchise territories and have others drive and manage the businesses for him.
Since he has had experience from the several years he worked on Kona franchise trucks, his training and support from the parent company continues, he said.
He’ll attend Coffee Academy at the firm’s corporate office in Kentucky and has mentoring and support from corporate and other franchise owners, he said.
But it’s not all about profit for Burns. “We give back 10% in sales to local charities,” he said.
Like the Kona Ice trucks, the Travelin Tom’s Coffee trucks are available for rent at events at communities, schools, churches, festivals, weddings and private parties.
Reflecting on his choice of business, Burns said, “This is all I know,” and as he spoke enthusiastically about the company and products, he said, “We will be around in 60 years; we’ve got new products coming down all the time.”
His next event will be the three-day Big Boy Toyz Expo at Charlotte County Fairgrounds Feb. 14-16.