Today we’d like to introduce you to Fran Allen.
Hi Fran, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up wasn’t a fairy tale. I was given up for adoption by my birth mother. Thinking life would be better was not in my cards. My foster mom was unreasonably horrible, and as a young girl, not having love was hard. Regardless, I was a very happy kid with big dreams.
When I was thirteen, I started my first business and it expanded all through school. I always loved serving people, so naturally, I gravitated towards the customer service industry.
I wanted to make a difference in my life, and others. I’ve always been a fearless soul and taken chances. In early 2016, I was laid off from my current job and really underestimated how bad things would get for me and my husband financially.
I eventually sat down to make a plan, sent in more applications, and updated my resume, but as the evening progressed I went to the kitchen to make us a drink, not putting any thought or direction, my husband took one sip and said “wow this amazing, you should be a bartender” joking. But, at that moment I knew, his joke really set in.
I ran to my computer and read all I could on mobile bartending. I’ve never done it before, might as well try. My husband said we should call it ‘Franny’s Bartending’. I just stared, my mind raced, so I got my license that night! My husband was shocked and said I was crazy and to go get a nine to five, but I knew this was my calling, it felt so real and I refused to let it go!
Everybody thought I was crazy, that I was wasting my time! Six years in the game with my husband who co-owns with me, and over 1000 events and 30 bartenders later, I’m proud to say Franny’s Bartending was no mistake. It was the best story ever told.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road whatsoever.
Some of my biggest challenges were the non-believers The people who don’t understand your mind, how you think or the big picture. A lot of times, I found myself questioning if I should be doing this. Sometimes it’s the closest to us that don’t support our dreams.
I was alone for a while and I never gave up. I remember after my first event, my next did not come till 3 months later. This really tested my patience, but I never got discouraged because I knew my time would come and boy did it!
In 2017, our business tripled in sales! And year after year since then we’ve doubled our sales.
My best advice is to legitimize your business. Makes sure you have all of the certifications, licenses and permits that you need to succeed. Shortcuts here turn into problems and lost opportunities. The other part is to build a circle of friends that will give you love, respect, kindness, and honesty. And know how to help each other and lift up each other up. This will take you very far in life!
We’ve been impressed with Franny’s Bartending & Event Services, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Franny’s Bartending is a mobile bartending & alcohol catering company. We bring the fun to you. We acquired our liquor license in 2020 and we’ve been able to provide alcohol to all of our clients since then.
We have bartenders, bar-backs, waitstaff, and security officers! We have an amazing set of addon services to add to your special event. From custom and signature cocktails to specialty bars and rentals.
We are known for our amazing drinks and 5-star rated customer service.
I’m most proud of our amazing team. They are the real MVPs. We are so blessed and lucky to have them, we would not be where we are if it was not for them!!
What sets us apart is our passion and love for this. We go above and beyond on our quality, while still maintaining affordable options for all.
“Customers may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
What’s next?
At Franny’s, we go where the wind takes us. Our plans for the future are to keep providing 5-star customer service, increase our corporate clientele, and then expand out to multiple cities. We plan to bring Franny’s brand to a brick-and-mortar bar, mobile bartending trailers, and we plan to launch a drink line. The sky is the limit!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@frannysbartending.com
- Website: www.frannysbartending.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frannysbartending/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefrannyexperience/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGMbp6hKGkLkX4S2YcyjRVA
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/frannys-bartending-tomball-tx-2003824
