Husband and wife team Rony Jalkh and Romy Jreissati are originally from Venezuela, where they owned and operated a manufacturing business specializing in furniture, doors, and kitchen cabinetry. That experience gave them a strong background in the industry and a passion for design and craftsmanship. Now, they live in Orlando, Florida, where they own and operate Kitchen Tune-Up Orlando Southeast, which they opened in 2021. They love working together, meeting new people, and helping homeowners transform their kitchens.
We talked to them about what it’s like owning their Kitchen Tune-Up franchise together.
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
Having owned a business in Venezuela, we knew we wanted to continue doing what we love and build something of our own here in the United States. We saw franchising as a great opportunity to stay in an industry we already knew while learning how to navigate a new market and a different way of doing business. What attracted us most was having the support, guidance, and established systems of a franchise while still being able to grow our own business.
When researching franchises, what criteria mattered to you most? How did your franchise meet that criteria?
We were looking for an established franchise with a national presence, a professional team, and opportunities for growth. Kitchen Tune-Up caught our attention because of its nationwide network. From our very first conversations, we felt we were dealing with knowledgeable, professional people. We also liked the idea of being part of a larger organization where we could learn from others, share experiences, and have the support we needed as we grew our business.
Financing can be an obstacle and/or intimidating factor for aspiring entrepreneurs. How did you find financing options to purchase your franchise?
The franchise team helped guide us through the financing process and find a loan to get started. Since we were entering a new market, having that support made the process much easier and gave us more confidence. Our goal was to give the business time to grow and generate enough revenue to support itself, rather than putting all our resources into the initial investment.
Which of your prior skills and experiences do you use in operating your business today?
Our previous experience as business owners has been valuable in almost every aspect of running Kitchen Tune-Up. From managing operations and coordinating teams to building customer relationships and overseeing projects, we use many of the skills we developed over the years. Having a background in furniture and cabinetry manufacturing also gives us a deeper understanding of the products, materials, and installation process, which helps us guide our customers and find the right solutions for their projects.
When doing your research, which questions did you ask the franchisees?
We wanted to understand what running the business was really like on a day-to-day basis. We asked about profitability, the challenges they faced, work-life balance, and whether they had the flexibility to take vacations. We were also interested in knowing if the business could eventually operate without the owners being involved in every aspect of the daily operations.
Which questions did you ask the franchisor?
We asked many of the same questions about profitability, daily operations, and growth opportunities. We also wanted to understand the support and training available, as well as the long-term potential of the business, including exit strategies if we eventually decided to sell or transition out of the franchise.
What were your first 90 days like as a franchisee?
Our first 90 days were definitely a learning experience! There was so much information to absorb and so many resources available that we spent a lot of time studying and preparing ourselves to get the business started with confidence. At the same time, we were getting to know our local market, which was also new to us. It was a busy period, but an important part of building a strong foundation for our business.
At what point did you feel like you “got the hang of it” and settled in as a business owner?
I would say after our first year. Even though we already had experience running a business, we needed time to get familiar with the franchise systems, understand our local market, and learn how things work here in the U.S. After that first year, we felt much more confident and comfortable with the day-to-day operations, although we’re still learning and improving every day!
How does the franchisor support and encourage your success?
Kitchen Tune-Up provides a great variety of resources and training opportunities to help us grow and improve our business. The home office team is always willing to help whenever we have questions or need guidance. We also really appreciate the franchisee network. Most franchisees are very supportive and happy to share their experiences, advice, and ideas. It’s nice to know we have people we can reach out to when we need help.
What are you most proud of and why?
We’re very proud of how much we’ve grown, both personally and as business owners. But what makes us happiest is seeing the joy on our customers’ faces when we finish their kitchens. Those moments remind us that we made the right decision. It’s rewarding to know that as we grow our business, we’re also growing alongside the people we work with and making a positive difference in our customers’ homes. That’s what makes everything worthwhile.
What advice would you give to potential franchise owners?
Be prepared to work hard, be patient, and give yourself time to grow. Building a successful business doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication, consistency, and a lot of learning along the way. As you grow, you start building your team, gaining experience, and seeing the results of your efforts, which is incredibly rewarding. But there’s always more to learn, improve, and accomplish. My advice is to stay involved, keep an open mind, and never stop looking for ways to grow.
More about the Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise Opportunity
Kitchen Tune-Up appears on a few of Franchise Business Review’s lists. We use data from franchisee surveys to rank the best franchise brands to own. We display only brands that exceed FBR’s franchisee satisfaction benchmark on our website. Here’s how Kitchen Tune-Up franchise owners rated their franchise.
Highlights include:
- 89% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of the brand.
- 90% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of each other.
- 89% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees actively participate in company programs and events.
Kitchen Tune-Up cares a great deal about transparency, so they actually share their full franchisee satisfaction report. Download that here.
Each franchise office is independently owned and operated. These testimonials represent that person’s experience and the opinions of a specific franchise owner. Individual results and experiences will vary. This is not a guarantee, promise, or prediction of future performance or outcomes. For a comprehensive understanding of the costs, risks, and performance data associated with this franchise opportunity, please refer to Kitchen Tune-Up’s Franchise Disclosure Document.
