In celebration of Veterans Day, PJ’s Coffee is honored to announce that it has selected U.S. Navy veteran Rob Smith to join the brand as the winner of its seventh annual Veteran Franchise License Giveaway.
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Smith served for five years and has been an operations manager for an aerospace and defense technology company for the past 11 years. Encouraged to apply for the giveaway by a fellow Navy veteran, Smith’s experience and great love for family, people and relationships made him an ideal franchisee candidate. In addition to receiving a waived $35,000 franchise fee, Smith purchased three additional licenses to open four locations.
The New Orleans-born coffeehouse launched the Veteran Franchise License Giveaway in 2017, which has since helped numerous veterans join the brand and succeed in their communities. PJ’s veteran franchisees and members of the company’s executive and operations teams have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, teamwork and goal orientation.
Smith is very excited to begin the real estate search for his first PJ’s Coffee location, which is expected in Maryland — where he resides with his wife, LaWanda, and sons, Joshua and Gabriel — near the end of 2024.
In addition to offering veterans a year-round 20% discount on the franchise fee, PJ’s Coffee will also offer a FREE 12-ounce hot coffee or cold brew iced coffee for veterans and active duty military on Saturday, Nov. 11.
PJ’s Coffee is dedicated to supporting veterans and military community members, and it is a proud member of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program.
The brand eagerly anticipates its yearly Veterans Franchise License Giveaway and looks forward to seeing Smith expand the brand in his market. To learn more about PJ’s Coffee and franchise opportunities for veterans, visit www.pjsfranchise.com/why-us/veterans.