Franchisee Focus: Paul Terracina (Austin)
That’s what Paul Terracina said recently when asked what he thought the mission of The Gents Place was. A graduate of TCU and a self-proclaimed member of the “Texas Forever” club, Paul will be opening the first franchise of The Gents Place later this year. In time he hopes to operate at least two clubs in the city, but job one is finding the right real estate, and that’s where Paul is spending his time at the moment.
The Gents Place has traditionally done well in residential areas and with that in mind there are a few areas in Austin that Paul has his eyes on – but you’ve got to move quickly too, as it’s a city on the move. Watch this space!
As with many entrepreneurs, Paul started early. “Paul’s Perfection Wash” was a car-washing business he ran during high school summers which gave him early insight into what it meant to deliver value to customers.
One of the formative events in Paul’s evolution as a gent came in college when he participated in the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), based in Wyoming. Billed as a “semester in the Rockies,” he and 10 other men participated in an 87-day trip which started in the Grand Tetons in February (think minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit) and ended in the Grand Canyon in May. He found joy in the outdoors and experienced leadership roles among his fellow students. To this day Paul retains a WFR (Wilderness 1st Responder) certification.
After college Paul apprenticed under his father, a distinguished member of the San Antonio business community, and marveled at the entrepreneurs his father worked with – they came from all walks of life and backgrounds, but they all possessed that “get it done” spirit. In 2015 Paul started working at Massage Heights and worked with Glenn Franson on the development of the Elevated Brands umbrella and the negotiations with Ben Davis, founder of The Gents Place, to make that company the first brand franchised by Elevated Brands.
You can only spend so much time doing due diligence on a great opportunity before you start asking, “Why not me?” Before too long, Paul went through his own thought process and examination and decided to be our first franchisee. When asked what the secret to growth in Austin will be, Paul responded, “Once a real gentleman gets one of our services, he’ll get what we’re about, and he’ll keep coming back.”
The first Gents Place in Austin is set to open in Fall 2017.