Footprints Floors Showroom Opens in Peachtree City, Georgia

Peachtree City, Georgia, recently became the site of a major milestone for Footprints Floors with the grand opening of its first-ever showroom. The display, spearheaded by franchise owner Matt Therriault, represents a significant step forward for both Therriault’s business and the overall brand. The ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 19 brought out a crowd of more than 60 attendees, including the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor of nearby Tyrone, Georgia, despite pouring rain.

“This was by far the biggest turnout that [the Chamber of Commerce has] had for ribbon cutting,” Therriault said, reflecting on the event. “I was extremely overwhelmed by the showing and support and how many people came out for it. And now I'm just in this mode where I'm just hoping I just don't want to let anyone down. I want this to be successful.”

Therriault’s path to Footprints Floors started far from Peachtree City. Originally a firefighter and paramedic in the Chicago area, he moved to Georgia with his wife following her corporate job transfer. This career transition inspired him to launch a remodeling business, specializing in bathroom renovations.

“We reached a point where my helper and I were busy enough, but I couldn’t figure out how to take the business to the next level,” Therriault said. “I had this brilliant idea to start installing floors, but I didn’t know anything about that side of the business.”

It wasn’t long before an ad for Footprints Floors caught his attention. “Something with Footprints Floors popped up. I answered some questions to get some more information. Got a phone call a couple days later saying, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you.’”

That call eventually led to a discovery day in Denver, where Therriault met Footprints Floors founder Bryan Park. “I felt that he had some leadership qualities and he was someone that I could follow,” Therriault said. “The business model was everything that I was kind of thinking of in my own mind but had no clue how to do.” After thorough research, Therriault purchased two territories and launched his franchise.

The idea for a showroom came from Therriault’s realization that he was leaving revenue on the table by sending customers elsewhere to choose materials. “Every time I handed out my card, people would always say, ‘This is amazing. Hey, where’s your showroom? I want to come visit you,’” he said. “For me, in my area, it seemed like the next logical step was to have the brick-and-mortar business — the actual retail showroom. The idea that it could drive more sales, more revenue — all that kind of stuff — it just kept grabbing my interest.”

Therriault wanted to stay true to the Footprints Floors model while adding a new dimension to his business. “I want to continue to operate the business model that Bryan built,” he said, “but I need this piece of the puzzle to add on to bolt on to it to take us to the next level.”

While Therriault ultimately succeeded in opening the showroom, the process came with its fair share of challenges. Setting up accounts with major vendors proved more difficult than anticipated.

The timeline for opening also stretched beyond his initial expectations. “I started this process on July 1, thinking I’d be up and running by August,” said Therriault. “I expected to have a soft opening by mid-August and a big grand opening celebration right after Labor Day. That’s not how it turned out at all.”

Despite these hurdles, Therriault is optimistic about what the showroom will bring. “I hope we’ll hit the ground running in January,” he said. “Although with all our goals in place, ‘hope’ isn’t the right word — I know we’ll succeed.”

As the first Footprints Floors showroom owner, Therriault feels a strong responsibility to prove the model’s potential. “I want to make everyone proud and ensure our success by building something with processes and systems that can be duplicated to help the company grow,” he said. “I may be the first, but I certainly don’t want to be the last.”

Therriault is also determined to provide a unique and enjoyable experience for his customers. “I don't want it to be a salesman jumping down their throat. I want to be able to still set those same expectations and educate them on different products,” he said. “I want to create an experience that people enjoy being a part of, without feeling overwhelmed.”

In addition to his entrepreneurial accomplishments, Therriault takes pride in being part of the Footprints Floors family. “The corporate staff truly looks at all of us as part of their family, which is what I've tried to carry on with my employees — that this is family,” he said. “You're not just an employee, you are one of the family.”

Looking ahead, Therriault is excited about the possibilities for both his business and the brand. “This is so much bigger than just me,” he said. “We're excited for what the future holds and I'm excited to make Bryan Park and the entire Footprints Floors family proud.”