Army Veteran Creating Jobs for Those Who Served

Grant Quezada has created what is known locally as the Founding Fathers Collective (FFC). After four tours of duty in Afghanistan and two in Iraq, he said when he returned to Prescott with his wife, Veronica, and two small sons and a daughter, he wanted to create a business environment to benefit his fellow veterans while simultaneously creating a unique signature experience for the community.

When he opened the John Hancock Barbershop in fall 2014, he began what has become an award-winning collection of businesses that now employ 67 full- and part- time employees – and continues to expand.

As a recent result of that expansion, Quezada has received the W. O. Layton Business Leadership Award from the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). He and FFC were selected from among more than 300 nominations from across the United States. The NAWB represents about 12,000 business members nationally that coordinate and leverage workforce strategies with economic development in individual communities.

The award was presented in a well-attended public ceremony on April 12 in Washington, D.C. Quezada and his colleagues were nominated by Teri Drew, regional director for the Northern Arizona Council of Government (NACOG) and a member of the WDB Board.  Drew’s nomination stated, “Grant worked with the WDB and WIOA to support recruitment, training and placement and hired a management team, including co-owner Jesse Burke, through his partnership with us. They offer an average wage that well exceeds the Yavapai County average.”

Quezada and FFC were recognized by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors (BOS) on June 1 for having won the prestigious national award. They noted it is the first time the national award has ever gone to an Arizona recipient. Recognition occurred during the regular monthly BOS meeting.

Quezada told Quad Cities Business News that he was genuinely surprised when he learned he had been nominated. “All of us associated with the FFC are honored. But the honor belongs to everyone who has helped support us and our growth. We honestly believe that if what we do is of value, it multiplies and spreads to benefit the entire community.”

He said the success of FFC is the result of a clearly defined vision and execution of healthy solutions that benefit all walks of life.

FFC Growth Continues

Currently, the FFC contains seven distinct businesses – a far cry from eight years ago when Quezada opened John Hancock Barbershop as the anchor for FFC in the one-story, 9,000-square-foot building. Since then, he and co-owner Burke worked with NACOG Yavapai County ARIZONA @Work Workforce Development Board to acquire grants and create opportunities to give back to the veteran community.

Such efforts resulted in FFC becoming a leader in the Quad Cities’ hospitality and entertainment industries. Now operating out of the FFC building are these businesses:

• City Tavern Taproom, the largest self-serve beer taproom in Arizona;
• Merchant Coffee, which features local specialty coffees;
• Seven-Six, an exclusive and nostalgic 1920s-style speakeasy;
• Liberty Mercantile Shop, featuring items for men;
• Founders Gym, a fully-equipped fitness center;
• Mountain Tribe Jiu-jitsu Studio, which serves youngsters as well as adults.

Beyond that, the FFC has several levels of membership for the community. Those memberships allow people to participate in weekly and monthly events such as Daily Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m., live music and entertainment on weekends, brunch on Saturday and Sundays, and poker games on Sunday afternoons.

Prescott businessman Phil Schafer, who owns Tri City Men’s Health along with other businesses, said he is supportive of the membership in the FFC and Grant Quezada for several reasons.

“I chose to renew my FFC membership this year because there is so much bang for the buck. As a businessman in Prescott, having a place to go and meet with prospective clients and vendors is a big deal to me. The staff at FFC is incredibly professional and kind, always making an effort to get to know members.”

Schafer and his family have lived in Prescott since 2011 (except for the year they were away for his additional professional experiences). He continued, “I spend the majority of my perks on my team members. All of our corporate parties are at Founding Fathers. The connections I’ve made through FFC have deeply benefitted me personally and professionally. What Grant and Jesse have created is incredible and I am proud to be part of it.”

Quezada and his colleagues just spent several million dollars acquiring property east of FFC and a large building west of FFC. They’ll spend several million more remodeling the smaller of the two into a wine bar and event center and the larger structure into a major showplace, he said. “We’re developing plans for the larger five-story building currently. We plan to start on it in 2023-24. But our mission will remain the same – creating opportunities for veterans and encouraging the entrepreneur spirit.”  QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information about FFC, visit www.foundindfatherscollective.com or call 928 541-1556.