I’ve spent much of my career helping established hospitality brands create great guest experiences, lead teams, and operate at a high level. When I decided to invest in Graze Craze, I wasn’t walking away from that experience. I was looking for a way to apply it differently.
What interested me was the chance to invest in a growing concept that combined hospitality with something I’ve always enjoyed: creating experiences through food. Today, my business partner, Ryan, and I own Graze Craze locations in Corona and Ontario, California.
For women considering franchise ownership, I think that distinction matters. Building a business on your own terms doesn’t mean the work disappears. It means choosing the kind of business, leadership role, and future you want to build.
The Experience I Brought to Franchise Ownership
My career prepared me for ownership in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until I was in it.
At Medieval Times, I developed an appreciation for the guest experience and what it takes to create something memorable. My time with Aramark at Angel Stadium and Honda Center gave me exposure to large-scale service and operations. Later, my work with Buffalo Wild Wings strengthened my experience in multi-unit leadership, team development, and building culture.
Those lessons guide how I operate the business every day. You’re leading people, protecting standards, solving problems, and making sure the customer experience reflects the brand and what makes it unique.
My background happens to be in hospitality, but that doesn’t mean every Graze Craze owner has to come from a restaurant background. Skills from many careers can transfer into business ownership, especially leadership, customer service, organization, and the ability to build a team. The franchise system also provides training for owners who are learning the food-service side of the business.
Why Graze Craze Was the Right Fit for Me
I wanted to invest in a growing concept that connected with my hospitality experience and my interest in bringing people together through food.
Graze Craze gave me that opportunity in a format that’s different from a traditional restaurant. The model is focused on assembling made-to-order charcuterie boards and boxes rather than running a traditional cook line. That means the operation doesn’t require many of the fryers, grills, hoods, and other cooking systems associated with a full restaurant kitchen.
From an ownership standpoint, that operating structure is important to understand. What I enjoy most, though, is what the product is part of. Our customers come to us for celebrations, gifts, events, catering, and everyday moments when they want to make something feel a little more special.
For someone evaluating women’s franchise opportunities, I think that’s an important question to ask: does the business itself connect with the kind of customer experience you want to create?
Building a Business Through Local Relationships
Owning a local business means being part of the community, and that doesn’t happen automatically because you open the doors.
A lot of the work is outreach, follow-up, building partnerships, and taking care of people when they give you the opportunity to serve them. Ryan and I have focused on developing relationships with wedding planners, venues, and other local partners because those connections make sense for what Graze Craze offers.
For me, customer care matters just as much as the product itself. We’re creating something by hand for someone’s event, celebration, meeting, or gift. There’s a level of trust in that, and I never want to lose sight of it.
That community piece is also something I’ve valued personally. I’ve been involved with the local Women’s Council, and I’m grateful for the support our businesses have received in the communities we serve. But relationships still take work. You have to be visible, responsive, willing to follow up, and interested in what your customers actually need.
How Franchise Support and Local Leadership Work Together
One reason people consider franchising is that you aren’t building every system from scratch. Graze Craze franchisees have access to launch training, operating guidance, marketing resources, vendor support, and an ongoing business advisor. Those resources provide structure, but ownership still requires you to lead locally and execute the brand’s standards in your own business.
For me, support has also meant having confidence in the people around me. There have been difficult periods, and I’ve relied on my business partner and team to keep moving forward. That trust matters when you’re balancing multiple responsibilities.
I’ve also been involved with the brand’s menu innovation team, which has given me an opportunity to contribute ideas beyond my own stores.
I think that balance is important for prospective women franchise owners to consider. A franchise gives you a framework, but you still have to bring your own leadership, judgment, and commitment to it.
What “On My Own Terms” Looks Like in Practice
I don’t think ownership should be presented as an easy path to more free time.
My experience has included running two Graze Craze locations while maintaining a full-time leadership role and managing family responsibilities. There have been late-night emails, early setups, work during holidays, and periods of real emotional and financial pressure.
The road has not been smooth, but it has been meaningful.
What has kept me moving is knowing why I started, trusting the people around me, and accepting that building something worthwhile doesn’t always happen according to a perfect schedule.
My children are part of that motivation, too. I want them to see that pursuing a goal doesn’t mean everything goes exactly as planned. Sometimes you adjust, learn, ask for help, and keep going.
That’s what ownership on my own terms means to me. It isn’t about avoiding responsibility. It’s about choosing a direction and being willing to take responsibility for what you’re building.
My Advice to Women Considering Franchise Ownership
There isn’t one type of woman who belongs in franchising.
Some female franchise owners come from corporate leadership. Others are changing careers, returning to the workforce, building something with family, or pursuing business ownership for the first time. My path is just one example.
What I would encourage someone to do is look closely at what she wants from ownership and what she is prepared to put into it. Think about the skills you already have, the areas where you’ll need support, and the kind of work you actually want to do every day.
You also don’t have to know everything before you begin. Careers evolve. People grow. Some of the hardest experiences I’ve had have also made me a stronger leader.
The important part is being realistic about the responsibility while still giving yourself permission to pursue the opportunity.
More Than One Path to Ownership
Other Graze Craze owners have taken different routes. Emily and Therese in Loveland, for example, came from careers outside food service and built their business together as a mother-daughter team. Their story looks different from mine, and that’s exactly the point: there isn’t one path into franchising for women. What matters is finding an opportunity that fits your goals and being realistic about what ownership will require.
If you’re exploring franchise ownership and wondering whether Graze Craze fits the future you want to build, connect with our franchise team to learn more about opportunities in your market.
