How Josh Lopez Is Bringing Fresh Energy to Big Frog Aurora

After a decade in corporate America, Josh Lopez was ready for something more fulfilling. This year, he took a major step by purchasing the existing Big Frog Aurora franchise in Colorado. The store combines his passion for community engagement with a proven business model in custom apparel.

“When I was looking to buy this store, I came from a background of corporate America,” Lopez said. “My wife and I also own a flower shop here. She runs the flower shop, and I kind of just saw what she did with that business and the fulfillment that she got. I wanted the same thing.”

From Corporate Life to Entrepreneurship

Lopez officially acquired the Aurora location at the beginning of the year. While he’s new to ownership himself, entrepreneurship runs in the family. His wife has operated her flower shop for more than 15 years, and Lopez has supported her in different ways along the journey. Still, stepping out of corporate life came with nerves.

“I have the worries that any new business owner would have,” he said. “Especially taking over any existing business.”

What eased his concerns was the support structure within the Big Frog franchise system. “Big Frog gives good backing. That’s something I needed,” Lopez said. “I like the freedom, but then I also like the structure.”

Why Big Frog Aurora?

That structure came into focus during a “Meet the Team” day in Florida with Big Frog’s corporate leadership. “Just meeting that team and hearing them talk about the franchise and how it was built and how [CEO and Co-Founder] Tina [Bacon-DeFrece] built it up to what it is today — that’s what really made our decision,” Lopez said.

Lopez had considered other franchises in food and beverage, such as ice cream and coffee shops. But apparel offered something different: a simpler, more manageable business model without the stress of food service. Most importantly, it gave him flexibility.

“Our hours are 10 to 6, and we’re closed on weekends. That’s the biggest thing too — we have three kids,” Lopez said. “They play sports, so it allows us to take that time and not worry about missing something. I’ve had the privilege of coaching my two older kids and I started coaching our younger one in flag football.”

Focused on Marketing and Community Impact

Now well into his ownership, Lopez is concentrating on one priority: marketing. “What this store needed was somebody to market what we do — market our product — and that’s my main focus,” he said.

That community outreach has already paid off. “We did the state qualifier shirts for the wrestling team at Roosevelt High School earlier this year,” Lopez said. “We also did the senior night gifts for the seniors. My son’s football coach reached out to me about doing their summer shirts as well.”

His goal is ambitious but clear: “My goal is to double the numbers they did last year.”

Building a Local Presence

Lopez is also embracing creative ways to get noticed — including becoming a walking advertisement. “I just talked to my manager about making me different shirts that I could wear around with the Big Frog logo on my sleeve with a QR code that people could scan,” he said. “One of the shirts I was wearing, I’ve had a couple people ask me where I got it and one of those people actually ordered one for himself.”

That spirit of engagement is at the heart of his vision for Big Frog Aurora. “The biggest thing that excited me about Big Frog is that everything’s customizable. The customer comes in with an idea, and you bring that idea to life.”

To learn more about franchising with Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, visit bigfrogfranchise.com.