By: Anna Holton-Dean
In just one year, Palm Beach Vapors (formerly Paradise Vapors) expanded from one storefront in Owasso into a thriving franchise projected to open 50 stores by the end of the year. With two Tulsa-based stores in Owasso and Bixby, Palm Beach Vapors will open its 13th store on Saturday, expanding the corporation into seven states, and the numbers are growing almost daily.
Owners Chip Paul, Cynthia Paul and Angie Stokes found the formula to success with customizable kits and the highest-quality products and standards. With the packaged business model already thriving, franchise locations are projected to open in 15 states by the end of 2015.
Total cost to open a franchise location is $75,000—that’s $20,000 for the franchise fee and $49,500 for the make-ready package. The result is a complete turn-key store ready for business, and Paul says there are still plenty of optimal franchise locations left in Oklahoma.
“We have found that our shops do very well in suburban or rural areas which have a town of over 20,000 in population—lots of great spots in Oklahoma!” he says.
The first franchise location opened in December of 2013, just three months ago, in Springfield, Mo.
Today, there are eight total franchise locations open (along with two corporate locations and three licensees), making the exponential growth in such a short time undeniable.
Along with quality and customizability, Paul says choosing Owasso as their first location was key. “Owasso is a great community, and our success would not have been possible without the town’s support,” he says. “We are so happy the community of Owasso has supported us!”
Palm Beach Vapors’ electronic cigarette kit consists of two batteries, two tanks/clearmoziers, a USB charger, a wall adapter, a lanyard, a bottle of liquid and a carrying case. Customers truly customize every aspect of the kit, including style and color, and most importantly, liquid flavor.
The custom flavor station is an important aspect of what sets Palm Beach apart. “We may not call our liquids fancy names like Witch’s Blood or Wookie Cookie, but we promise you can create any flavor combination imaginable with our system,” Paul says.
If you like cheesecake and blueberry individually, combine them to create blueberry cheesecake-flavored vapor with peace of mind that Palm Beach ensures its flavor station is always sanitary.
With quality in mind, you can also rest assured that Palm Beach works with its manufacturing companies in China where most electronic cigarette hardware is made. “We are the only retailer who has eyes and ears on the ground in China,” Paul says. “We only order from factories that we have direct knowledge of and have toured. This is very important and ensures that we are only selling the best products available. It also allows us to be one of the very few retailers who offer a return policy.”
March 15th marked Palm Beach’s official one-year anniversary of the Owasso storefront opening, and on March 22nd, the Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony where customers sampled virgin cocktails, which complement the available vapor juice flavors.
Local Palm Beach Vapor locations can be found at 8751 N. 117th E. Ave., Suite F in Owasso (86th Street Reasors between Cato and Supercuts) and 11845 S. Memorial Drive in Bixby.
For more information, call (877) 595-2833 or visit www.palmbeachvapors.com. You can also “like” them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmBeachVaporsOwasso.
