Meet Erick and Cissy Jones of Vapor Galleria in South Loop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erick and Cissy Jones.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
During 2015 we began researching franchises in multiple industries to address our constant urge to own a business and to eliminate Erick’s high level of work travel in an industry he outright disliked. As a result our franchise search begin. There were three franchise selection requirements. First we wanted a franchise that made a difference. Second, we wanted a franchise that was affordable and lastly we wanted a franchise with a concept whose aesthetics were modern yet welcoming. Naturally, profitability goes without saying. We made the decision to go with a franchise after a few failed attempts at a start-up. Although, we have more than four decades of combined operational, customer service and management experience, we felt that our next venture required a proven concept and plan and a high level of support.

Prior to 2015 both of us experienced back to back eliminations of leadership positions with three Fortune 500 companies. This resulted in Erick acquiring a position in a new industry that required travel 75% of the time. At that point we had enough of Corporate America! During these stressful times, Erick smoked. While on a corporate trip Erick was introduced to vaping. He came home with juices that smelled scrumptious. Instead of kicking him out to smoke on the patio, I invited him in the house to smoke. After vaping for approximately a month Erick stopped smoking tobacco completely. Based upon Erick’s success, we chose to research Vapor Franchises. Cissy discovered Vapor Galleria on the internet and loved the concept and storefront displayed on the web. Soon thereafter, we met with the franchise owner and visited the corporate store and those interactions basically sealed the deal. The company was just as the internet details indicated. The sense of community, teamwork and flexibility that was shown during our visits put us at ease with our decision to move forward with Vapor Galleria. We received customized and personal training and really felt we were setup for success. Additionally, the post agreement signing experience and level of support has not wavered. Also, there is a great deal of empowerment allowed as a Vapor Galleria franchisee. We truly feel like owners of the Vapor Galleria brand. We have been open a year and our sales and customer base is constantly growing month over month. We consistently receive amazing customer reviews about the location set-up, quality products and amazing customer service. Our location is in Houston Texas near the Texan’s NRG Stadium. If you are considering a franchise we highly recommend Vapor Galleria.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Marketing was a challenge in the beginning getting customer to understand and trust the product and know that the process could help them put down traditional tobacco for good. Unwarranted Regulations began to appear last year from the FDA which we had to fight through to continue to provide the exceptional customer service our customer are accustomed to. Going with Vapor Galleria allowed us to shake the negative perception of most traditional Vape shops, providing a clean upscale look at atmosphere.

Please tell us about Vapor Galleria South Loop.
We provide quality E liquid and Vaporizers for the casual user as well as the customer wanting to quit smoking. We are known for outstanding customer service and education of our customers as it relates to our products and the process of quitting traditional tobacco. As a company we are proud of the amount of customers we helped break the cycle of using traditional tobacco. Our service and high quality lab made e liquid sets us apart from the competition.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Getting ahead of the marking prior to opening is one of the only things I think we could have done differently.

Pricing:

• Regular Vape liquid $18.99
• High VG liquid $19.99
• Vaporizers starting at $39.99 and up

Contact Info:

• Address: 3256 South loop west
  Houston, Tx, 77025
• Website: Vaporgalleriasouthloop.com
• Phone: 7136374376
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: Vapor galleria South loop
• Yelp: Vapor galleria South loop

Image Credit:
Erick Jones

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