In 2025, I became the 2nd franchisee of a brand-new franchise.
My partner and I bought the Houston market and launched last April.
Full disclosure: I’m also on the franchisor cap table as an investor and board member. I believed in the opportunity that much.
Here’s why I’m all-in on Waterloo Turf:
1/ Business Model
Waterloo Turf installs and maintains artificial grass.
They’re the first and only franchise brand in the space. That’s rare in franchising (most concepts get copycats fighting for the same market).
The turf industry is BOOMING and growing every year.
Commercial turf companies have been around forever installing fields, hotels, and other big projects.
Franchisees do some commercial work, but the focus is residential, which is growing faster than commercial and is massively underserved.
In addition to traditional grass, we also do putting greens and chipping pads. These turn boring backyards into weekend hangout spots for adults.
2/ Low Startup + Operating Costs
As a 100% mobile business, startup costs are low.
Two territories (700,000 people) start at $175,000, which includes the franchise fee, working capital, and initial marketing budget.
As an SBA-approved brand, lenders will provide up to 70-80% of startup costs.
You don’t need tools or equipment. The crews you hire supply all of that.
Operating costs are low since you run it from home (no warehouse or lot needed)
Most franchisees start as the owner/operator, estimating, selling, and project-managing their own jobs.
My operating partner (Rick) ran solo for 9 months before hiring his first sales rep. Today, we have 2 full-time sales reps and a remote project coordinator based in Latin America.
This keeps payroll at zero until you generate enough revenue to make your next hire.
3/ Strong Unit Economics
In the 2026 FDD Item 19, the brand discloses financial performance for its two corporate markets in Austin and San Antonio.
They include three years of itemized P&Ls for Austin from 2023 to 2025.
In 2025, Austin did $1.47M in revenue, paid their manager $112k, and netted $313,000 (after add-backs).
San Antonio launched from zero in January 2024 as a remote market with a full-time manager in place.
They did $771k in year one, then doubled to $1.413M in year two.
See the 2026 FDD for full details.
I love the transparency. A lot of brands only show top-line sales or cherry-pick the numbers.
They also have a decreasing royalty structure to reward high performers. It starts at 6% and scales down to 4% as sales grow.
4/ Franchisee Performance
Today they have 102 territories sold to 27 franchisees
But only 8 franchisees launched in 2025, so they didn’t have enough data to report in their FDD.
Instead, they highlighted the speed from signing the franchise agreement to collecting the first dollar.
My team in Houston had the fastest launch: first sale just 42 days from signing. The average was 79 days.
Some retail brands take 6, 9, or even 12+ months to first revenue.
How are my territories performing now?
Because I’m an investor in the franchisor, I can’t share any financial performance that’s not in the Item 19.
What I can tell you: we were the #1 franchisee in 2025.
I bought more territory in Dallas.
YTD we’re #3, because two other markets are crushing it.
During due diligence, you’ll talk to as many of the other franchisees as you want who can share their numbers.
(Pictured: Waterloo CEO Tim Lovett, my parnter Rick, Waterloo Founder Lance)
5/ Ideal Franchisee
The best franchisees fit a similar profile.
First, they love sales. This is a sales-driven business. The average job is $10-15k, so you have to be able to sell.
Second, they have a “team captain” personality. Experience leading sports teams, military units, or corporate operations at a high level.
Third, they’re willing to do whatever it takes. Building any business from zero (franchise or not) is a ton of work. People looking for the easy route shouldn’t apply.
6/ Learn More
Check out this video spending the day with my business partner
or this video I made with the founder (before we launched)
7/ Join Us At Waterloo Turf?
Want to see if Waterloo is the right fit for you?
I'll check if your market is open and personally introduction to the team
👉 Fill out this short form 👈 to get started
Cheers!
Brian
