Maui Wowi Franchisee Interview: Ken Ordosh

Franchise Owner Ken Ordosh Discusses His Experience

Step into the exciting world of Maui Wowi with Ken Ordosh, a passionate franchisee building strong community ties across Tucson, Arizona. Ken shares his journey from Army sergeant and artist to confident franchise owner, offering an inside look at what drew him to Maui Wowi and how he’s grown his business. From hands-on training to ongoing support and business advice, Ken reveals what makes a Maui Wowi franchise a rewarding opportunity for driven entrepreneurs.

What led you to Maui Wowi, and what was your career before?

Ordosh: I’ve done freelance comic book art. I’m a retired Army sergeant. I worked as a cobbler and shoe salesman for many years, and then my current partner and his family owned another franchise food service as well as gas stations, and worked for them for about 10 years. When they sold that, my partner and I dove into looking at Maui Wowi and just fell in love with the whole concept.

What was the process like to become a Maui Wowi franchise owner?

Ordosh: We actually had several conference calls with a gentleman named Adam, and he set us up with a good talk-through about how the business worked, how the franchise worked, what the fees were, what the brand expectations were.

From there, my partner and I fell in love with the whole setup.

What was the Maui Wowi franchisee training like?

Ordosh: My partner and I got in-depth about some of the business requirements, what the legal aspects are, a lot of the things that you can and can’t do legally, and what the franchise expectations are. From there, we got our equipment set up, and we opened for business, had our first event about two months after training.

What does ongoing support look like as a Maui Wowi franchise owner?

Ordosh: Talking to corporate depends on the situation, like when you’ve got a problem or an issue with getting replacement parts for equipment. Corporate is always right there to say, “Hey, here’s where you need to go. Here’s where you can help find equipment.”

Who makes the best Maui Wowi franchise owners?

Ordosh: There are two things you need to have to be a franchise owner: be outgoing, and have an attention to detail. You’ve got to want to do the business. This is a business that makes itself fairly easy for you, but you’ve got to put in the work, and you’ve got to follow up with, “Okay, who did I contact?” or “Oh, haven’t talked to them in a week.” Call them again. Call people, that’s how you find the events. It’s not going to present itself to you. You have to want it. You have to go out and get it.

What’s been the process of scaling your business?

Ordosh: A good indicator that it’s time to step up and increase your business is when you’ve got enough business that makes you say, “Gosh, if only I had another cart,” or “I’ve got three events, but I’ve only got two carts.” Obviously, time to get another cart. Take your time, though. Don’t get over anxious about it. Start small and work from there. When you get enough business that you start needing to be in multiple places at a time, that’s when it’s time to look for another cart.

Has your business led to community ties?

Ordosh: Very much. I love the community tie-in that we’ve got. We are very committed to doing events for a lot of the local schools. We do teacher appreciations, spring festivals, grad night. We do five different grad nights all around Tucson. We also do a lot with the health community. MHC healthcare has 19 clinics all around Tucson, and every year they pay us to go out to each and every clinic over the course of four days, and that’s really good. Also the behavioral health ties into the community and giving something back to them when we do an event, it makes you really feel good.

What would you say to a new prospective franchise owner?

Ordosh: Best advice I can give about becoming a Maui Wowi franchisee over some of the other potential franchises out there is your initial investment cost. Your initial investment going into Maui Wowi is very low, and your cost of doing business is very low. Your product cost is comparatively very low.

What makes you the most proud to own a Maui Wowi franchise?

Ordosh: I’m living the American dream. It’s everybody. It’s the whole goal. You know, be your own boss, set your own goals, do your thing that makes you happy. If you can find a job that makes you happy and you enjoy what you’re doing, you never actually work a day in your life. You put a lot of effort into it, but it’s not work.

Start Your Own Maui Wowi Franchise Today

For Ken, owning a Maui Wowi franchise is about more than smoothies and coffee—it’s about family, freedom, and fulfillment. Interested in owning your own franchise with Maui Wowi? Fill out our inquiry form here to get started today, and our team will be in touch soon to discuss your business goals and next steps. You can also visit our website to learn more about our franchise program—from startup costs to our unique franchise models.