Franchisee Spotlight: Mariel and Jonathan Robles of That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen

Without our franchisees, we would still only have our corporate locations; we want to take this moment to showcase another franchise location that goes above and beyond. Mariel and Jonathan Robles own That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen, which launched on July 15th, 2022. They came from a corporate background with big dreams and ideas. Jonathan had previous businesses that launched but never really stuck, and he mentions that Mariel was his missing piece of the puzzle to keeping a business afloat.

Anytime I tried a new project, it just wouldn’t work; Mariel was precisely what I needed. I was missing her, and then we became successful together.

Jonathan Robles

Humble Beginnings

Years before their launch of That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen, Mariel and Jonathan were schoolmates in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. Shortly after graduation, Jonathan left Puerto Rico to start his professional career, and tried launching a cleaning service. He soon discovered that there is a lot more to launching a service than meets the eye. Being so young and not as experienced as other business owners, he fell behind and had to close up shop.

Robles had a passion for food and sharing Puerto Rican culture, so he opened a Puerto Rican food truck hoping it would take off. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as large of a clientele for his food, and he switched from Puerto Rican food to a typical taco truck. Ultimately the food truck venture lasted only a short time, and Jonathan made his way to work in the tech industry.

Ten years had passed since Mariel and Jonathan had graduated high school, and they started their relationship long distance for a while. After getting married and starting their family, the Robles knew they wanted to be part of something they could truly leave their mark on. Years would pass as Mariel and Jonathan did rigorous research amongst themselves and with friends as they searched for franchise opportunities around their area.

Moving onto Bigger Things

He was looking for this opportunity to establish something and better handle his schedule as a father. The fact that the foundation and a system were already in place for That 1 Painter and their franchisees was a bonus. After years of working in the corporate industry in a more analytical area, he felt like his skills could transfer over well, as he enjoyed working with customers and showing them the transparency he feels like they need.

The couple had established their passion for home services and real estate but mainly wanted to target parents with smaller children. Being a young family themselves, they knew there was a market for those who couldn’t handle taking on a considerable project and still take care of their children. This coincided with the Robles family going to the same church as the Co-Founder of That 1 Painter, Allan Alarcon.

Jonathan had the opportunity to speak with Allan casually to get a feel for what That 1 Painter offered. He meticulously chose conversation topics to get his questions answered; some time passed, and Alarcon asked Jonathan his final answer. At the time, his corporate background wasn’t where Robles could see himself staying at any further, he felt a calling to do more. To find a way to give back to his community, and with the possibility of opening a That 1 Painter franchise suddenly falling into his life, it was as though the pieces suddenly came together.

Becoming the Franchise Owners of That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen

With their official launch being on July 15th, 2022, Jonathan and Mariel Robles went through the onboarding process before their launch to ensure they had a solid foundation to build upon. The Robles knew that it was now their mission to fight against the stereotype of contractors being untrustworthy and not finishing jobs. They are there every step of the way to ensure their customers get their estimates as soon as possible, get their project on a proper timeline, doing walkthroughs for touchups, up until the project has finally reached it’s end with the final walkthrough with their customer.

That 1 Painter is the door that allowed us to pursue our dreams of entrepreneurship with a tried and true system in place, ready for us to replicate it.

Jonathan Robles, Owner of That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen

Working As a Family

Jonathan and Mariel want their community to know that their location’s foundation would be settled in building a company with the reputation of treating their customers right. Understanding that they can add their flare to That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen, the Robles’ are leading into the family business aspect.

Their kids even say their family owns a business, not “my parents have a business” they have even mentioned that it’s “our business, and you’re building it for us.” When speaking with the Robles family, Jonathan mentions his 11-year-old going to school in her That 1 Painter polo shirt and stealing his That 1 Painter hat. When he asked her why she wore a That 1 Painter work uniform to school, she simply replied, “Dad, I gotta represent!”

She spoke with a teacher throughout that school day and mentioned that her family has a home services business. Later that day, Jonathan went to pick her up from school in the That 1 Painter branded truck and got her teacher scheduled for a free estimate.

Looking for a Painter in the Waco-Killeen Area?

When looking for a painter in your area, look no further than That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen! Jonathan and Mariel Robles will work tirelessly with their crew to ensure your project is shown the care it deserves. To schedule your free estimate with That 1 Painter Waco-Killeen, fill out this form or call (254) 227-6915!