Bonded Sisters Achieve High Octane Success as Franchise Rock Stars

It’s been said that the bond between sisters is unbreakable, and siblings Mystie Fehlman and Beth Joyner are definitely doing their part to uphold this standard. Together, they own an Ellianos Coffee franchise in North Valdosta, Georgia, where they brew up Italian-blended coffee and deliver it with a double dose of smiles. Having a family connection as a franchise owner has its benefits, and many franchisees choose this route to establish a legacy operation for future generations. Running a successful operation for these sisters begins with providing customers with an unmatched experience and a welcoming drive-thru environment. In doing so, they’ve become part of the fabric of their community.

Meet Mystie Fehlman and Beth Joyner—Ellianos Franchise Rock Stars

A transplant from Jefferson, Georgia, Mystie Fehlman enjoyed a successful career as a real estate agent, which gave her more than enough experience in interpersonal communication. Her sister Beth is a longtime Valdosta resident who enjoyed a successful career as a dental hygienist. But that was until her two children came along, and the pull to be a stay-at-home mom eventually won her over. Mystie and Beth are exceptionally close to one another—first as sisters and now as joint small business owners.

Why Ellianos Coffee Chose These Sisters as Rock Stars

Stopping by Mystie and Beth’s Ellianos Coffee location means being greeted by your first name, the ultimate sign of a true community-minded business. Witnessing how these sisters work together with passion and dedication made them an obvious choice for the “Family Owned” category of franchise rock stars. Seeing them in action is witnessing an unmistakable camaraderie between the two, and being small business owners has only drawn them closer together. At their Ellianos Coffee location, there’s no such thing as a stranger – something they’ve both worked hard on. Their neighborhood in North Valdosta, Georgia, is certainly better for it. Everyone is family at their Ellianos location, from the sisters to the staff and customers.

In their own words, this dynamic sister duo describes their journey to franchise ownership and rock star fame.

During your research, what made the Ellianos franchise brand stand out?

Choosing Ellianos Coffee as our franchise was an easy choice for us. Ellianos Coffee set itself apart from other coffee franchises by thoroughly researching specialty coffee products, energy drinks, food, and equipment with specific brewing techniques. We value the owner’s dedication to sourcing and combining unrivaled premium coffee beans to make the perfect smooth ‘Italian’ coffee taste. With their extensive coffee research and franchise experience, we easily joined the Ellianos family. Their local recognition, strong customer loyalty, comprehensive training programs, and robust Corporate support system aligned with their values and company culture. Ultimately, Ellianos Coffee’s vision and values aligned best with ours, which has fostered a more fulfilling partnership.

How did the Ellianos franchise help you to prepare for and launch your business?

Before signing a franchise agreement, Ellianos provided market research and optimal site selection. Because location is one of the most integral components of having a successful food and beverage franchise, this should be one of the most important components of having guidance from a franchisor. Our franchisor provided so much help with all aspects of starting a new business, creating a business plan, financial projections, and training. The training program and corporate trainers were very involved in depth and thoroughness in all aspects of training franchisees and managers. Our franchisor provided abundant help and was always a phone call away throughout the process. Our franchisor is a family-run business that reflects the same values and vision as we do for our business. Their family sets an example for our family in handling day-to-day issues while maintaining family peace. The company’s CEO always makes a point to take time out of his busy schedule to attend our special events training, making each franchisee feel like part of his family.

What advice would you give to potential Ellianos franchise owners?

As it is an exciting opportunity, owning any franchise requires careful planning, consideration, and understanding of the business inside and out. We recommend that a potential franchisee visit as many stores as possible, from the highest to the lowest performing stores. It is very beneficial for the potential franchisee to work in several stores for several weeks to have a solid understanding of all aspects of running the day-to-day tasks of the business. And finally, I think it is of the utmost importance to find the right location. Knowing your market, the competition and the ideal timing to open a new store would be our most important advice to give a potential franchisee.

Name three things that empower your success.

• Building a strong foundation for our family business while fostering our customer service with a personal touch ensures our long-term success in our south Georgia market. Relentlessly focusing on customer satisfaction and continuing to build trust encourages repeat customers. 
• Treating employees like family and being able to impact young professionals is important in our business planning. We also want to create and instill our beliefs and values into our store culture, where everyone feels loved and respected.
• Our family and local community involvement creates a strong, authentic customer connection. We believe in giving back to our community when there is an opportunity.

What are the key benefits of owning an Ellianos franchise with your family?

The key benefits to owning a franchise with family are trust and reliability, shared values, flexibility, and support. Knowing that family members are committed to the business’s success provides a reliable and stable work life. While there are many benefits to running a family-owned business, it is important to recognize potential challenges, such as balancing family business roles and managing conflicts.

Does Ellianos encourage succession planning, and is succession planning part of your family’s business plan?

The Ellianos Coffee franchise highly encourages succession planning. We signed a multi-unit development agreement and are still building our first store. We plan to develop two more locally and keep the stores in our family for multigenerational planning. Ellianos corporate has established training programs and business model operations, which include brand standards, which will help us throughout our ownership tenure.

Exploring the Ellianos Coffee Franchise Opportunity

Ellianos Coffee was founded in 2002 with the mission to serve ‘Italian Quality at America’s Pace.’ Founders Scott and Pam Stewart have dedicated their lives to this mission, developing systems and strategies to satisfy to the consumer and franchisee alike.

To learn more about the Ellianos Coffee Franchise Opportunity, visit ellianos.com/franchising, email sales@ellianos.com, or call (800) 990-4418.