Louisiana-Based Coffeehouse Chain Awards Franchise License to Deserving Veteran Family

Louisiana – PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, Louisiana, the coffeehouse known for its “southern hospitality” experience, the freshest products, and better beans with superior roasting technique, has announced its annual Veteran Franchise License Giveaway, which was most recently awarded to a husband and wife team, Kyle and Jen McElhaney. The franchise believes in creating small business opportunities for military veterans who want to join the ever-growing $100 billion global coffee industry. PJ’s Coffee seeks hardworking, passionate applicants who share its core values of providing best-in-class coffee with the highest regard for service and hospitality.

“With many of our previous veteran franchisees, we’ve seen a seamless transition from military life to entrepreneurship, so we started this initiative to attract like-minded individuals to our concept, and as a way of saying ‘thank you for your service,'” said Ryan Stansbury, PJ’s Coffee Vice President of Franchise Development. “We’ve found that our veteran franchisees have an extra attention to detail and level of care when it comes to how they present themselves and our brand.”

Kyle and Jennifer signed a multi-unit option agreement in April 2022 to own and operate two PJ’s Coffee locations in the Memphis area, with the first unit set to open by the end of 2022. Following that, the pair hopes to open about a dozen locations in the tri-state area. Kyle was a member of the University of Mississippi ROTC before becoming an Army officer and helicopter pilot for eight and a half years. From 2010 to 2011, he piloted an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He then served in the Mississippi National Guard for two years, retiring with the rank of Major. Kyle then worked as a military recruiter in Northern Kansas before moving on to ADP and eventually starting his own businesses.

“I am incredibly fortunate to have been awarded this opportunity,” said Kyle. “As coffee consumers in the community, once we tried the product, we knew there was a need for this. We’re thrilled to be the ones to debut PJ’s menu offerings and family-like atmosphere in Memphis.”

The couple is active in their community and has owned and operated a number of businesses. They have invested in high-demand Memphis concepts such as a logistics company, a full-service interior design support business, and a fleet cleaning business.

In a press release, the company said that the PJ’s Coffee brand is committed to supporting the veteran community in any way it can. The company is a five-star VetFran member, with qualified veterans receiving a 20% discount on the initial franchise fee.

In addition, the company was ranked No. 48 on the 2022 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list of innovative restaurant brands and executives influencing the fast casual segment. Profitability, growth, innovation, nimbleness, and creativity are all factors considered by the judges.

Visit www.pjscoffee.com for more information about the company, or www.pjsfranchise.com to learn more about franchising opportunities.