National Black Business Month: Elri Parker’s Inspiring Path to Success

August is National Black Business Month and a time to highlight Black business owners and entrepreneurs whose innovation, creativity, and knowledge play an integral role within our society and economy. As a franchisor of many established family brands around the nation, BRIX is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive space for all franchisees and prospective owners to go into business for themselves and share that experience with their communities.?

According to the National Black Chamber of Commerce, there are 3.12 million Black-owned businesses in the United States, accounting for six percent of American businesses. Black businesses generate over $206 billion in revenue each year, according to the Brookings Institute. Black business ownership is up by almost 30 percent over pre-pandemic levels, and Black women are starting businesses at a higher rate than any other group.?

As we celebrate National Black Business Month, it's important to recognize the stories of those who have turned their passions into thriving businesses. In recognition, BRIX Holdings LLC is proud to highlight Elri Parker , owner of two Clean Juice locations in Alabama, with plans to expand what has become his personal passion project to more cities.?

Getting a Taste of Life’s Buffet

If you want to know where teamwork, perseverance and believing in yourself can get you, look no further than Elri Parker. Parker learned early to overcome adversity, seize opportunities as they arose and work hard to make his dreams come true.

Parker is a proud multi-unit, multi-brand owner (MUMBO) with two new Clean Juice locations in Dothan and Hoover, Alabama, as well as a Golden Corral and Toasted Yolk in Dothan, and another Toasted Yolk in Enterprise, Alabama. Before achieving multi-unit growth and expansion with notable national brands, Parker endured significant professional and personal hardships. He spent his early years in the projects of Brooklyn, New York, raised by a single mother, and at the age of seven, his family moved to Augusta, Georgia. Parker recalls the challenges of those early years and remembers well what “rock bottom” felt like – a place he vowed to never return to. This promise to himself would eventually set the tone for his future success.?

When he was 15, Parker began his first job in the service industry, riding his bike to part-time shifts at Applebee’s. By the time he turned 19, he became an assistant manager at the restaurant and worked there until he left to attend college. He studied business at the University of South Carolina – Aiken, and later earned a basketball scholarship at Wake Forest University. Parker played basketball at Wake Forest for a few years before deciding to take a different path. Despite leaving sports and academics behind, he didn’t let go of his competitive spirit. It would continue to fuel his drive for years to come.?

After Applebee's, Parker continued in the service industry, becoming the youngest General Manager in North Myrtle Beach at an Olive Garden. It was there he experienced his first round of growing pains. Through a series of events, he learned hard lessons about building a healthy team and sustaining relationships between staff and management. After being demoted, Parker moved back home to Augusta. There, he began working for Romano’s Macaroni Grill as a kitchen manager and part-time at PF Chang’s. During this time, Parker was repeatedly offered the opportunity to work for Golden Corral—but he consistently turned it down, admitting now that he was biased against buffets and was unsure if Golden Corral was the right fit for him.

A Chip on the Shoulder

Finally, in 2008, Parker said yes to the opportunity and began his journey with Golden Corral as a hospitality manager. He quickly excelled, earning multiple promotions within three years, from hospitality manager to kitchen manager and then to team coordinator.?

Eventually, Parker traveled around the United States, opening and closing restaurants while leading teams to new heights. His experience took him to a Golden Corral restaurant in Kinston, North Carolina, and then to the flagship location near the company headquarters in Raleigh. It was at this restaurant that he was met with obstacles that would change the trajectory of his career in more ways than one. Parker was faced with immense pressure from headquarters, and the corporate culture limited his ability to speak his mind, share new ideas, and lead his team his way. This dissonance soon led to his demotion and a torrent of questions for Parker and his family. After all, they had just moved to a new state and started new jobs. What were they supposed to do now??

After a brief stint as a kitchen manager at a store in North Carolina, Parker was given a second chance by his division president to revitalize restaurants in Dothan, Alabama. Facing a new state and a fresh challenge, Parker remained focused on his drive to succeed and provide for his family. While his family went back home to Augusta, Georgia, Parker went to Alabama alone to start the real journey and develop “the chip.”

“We all have a chip on our shoulder. Everybody needs to go through this in their life, right?” said Parker. “Everybody needs that one moment where it breaks you, where you understand what your true talent is, and how you persevere through it in the face of adversity. And that's what happened.”

Parker embarked on his next mission at Golden Corral in Dothan, working at one of the lowest-ranked stores in the system. His determination, pride and desire to succeed with a team of employees who needed purpose and something to believe in took the community by storm and made tremendous change. It was in these moments that Parker remembered what “rock bottom” looked like and was sure the only way out was up. There were many long and sleepless nights spent building up the restaurant, inspiring the culture, changing the environment, holding people accountable and transforming the restaurant into a place everyone could be proud of and a safe space for the community to enjoy. A year later, his store was ranked number one in the company, and he finally had a seat at the table with people who hadn’t believed in him. He was able to show them he made it.

“That was the best moment of my life, and ever since then, I was like, I'm unstoppable, untouchable and God has me. I'm going to keep moving,” said Parker.

Journey with Health and Wellness

Parker kept moving forward, and for two years, his Golden Corral location ranked in the top 10 system-wide. His family, ultimately, was able to join him in Alabama, and soon he was allowed to own the location.?

When COVID rocked the service industry, the buffet sector took a huge hit. Parker recalled wise words from his mother not to “put all his eggs in one basket,” so he began his journey to multi-brand ownership.?

In 2021, Parker and his wife expanded their portfolio to include Toasted Yolk, which had been exclusively in Texas. They became the first owners to take the brand outside the state when they opened their first restaurant in Dothan, with another under construction in Enterprise, Alabama. While building the first location in 2021, Parker’s daughter was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease. He put his whole world on pause to take care of her and his wife, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and POTS. Diseases that can dramatically affect the quality of life.?

With his loved ones battling multiple illnesses, Parker’s focus was on family. To ensure their safety and overall well-being, the Parkers made important changes to their lifestyle and diets. As a businessman, he began his search for a concept that could provide options to suit their needs better. That’s when he discovered Clean Juice.?

Parker was immediately attracted to Clean Juice because of the USDA organic-certified options, as well as the brand’s mission, vision, and values. Clean Juice provided access to resources that helped support healthy eating and clean living for Parker and his family. His wife and daughter are healthy and happy now, and operating the business in Dothan and Hoover, Alabama, to provide fresh, healthy, and delicious options to the community.?

“I always ask people, ‘What are you going to be, phenomenal or forgotten?” said Parker. “It doesn't matter what year you started or when it ended, it matters what you did in between — that's what’s important.”

A Leader and the Team

Despite the challenges in Parker’s path to multi-unit and multi-business ownership, he’s achieved remarkable growth and success, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Every great leader has a drive to succeed and achieve new goals. Parker embodies these characteristics and also recognizes that he couldn’t have done any of it on his own, he always remembers who and what he’s doing it for.?

For Parker, his family will always be his primary motivation and secondly, his innate desire to be a leader who leads by example. As a Black business owner who has experienced his share of life's hiccups, it’s his mission to be someone who young kids, employees, and others interested in entrepreneurship — no matter their race, gender, or personal identity — can look up to and see in him their potential for greatness.?

Parker believes that being a leader doesn’t only mean being a mentor; it also means being someone who understands, gives back, and provides new opportunities to others. To Parker, that means promoting people from within, providing guidance and access to pursue education, volunteering in the community, and creating a safe space to work.?

“I just really try to be a positive role model,” explains Parker. “I recognize that my actions and words can have a significant impact on those who look up to me. I share my experiences of both successes and failures with my employees because, without failures, there's no success.”

Parker’s experience has afforded him ownership of five businesses among three different brands. Under his business Parker Enterprises, he operates and owns one Golden Corral, two Toasted Yolks, and two Clean Juice locations in Alabama. Parker Enterprises is a family affair, his wife Kenyatta is the company's chief operating officer, and their daughter Aaliyah, is the administrative assistant. They run the company with the help of a marketing manager, a social media manager, a human resources manager, and a director of operations. Together, the team has big plans to take Clean Juice across Alabama and into communities with young adults, college students, and sports centers to provide healthy options and knowledge about wellness and eating organic. Parker envisions opening 10 Clean Juice locations by the end of 2027.

Celebrating our Differences?

As a franchisor of many established family brands around the nation, BRIX is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive space for all franchisees and prospective owners to go into business and share that experience with their communities. We're delighted to share Elri Parker’s journey as a business owner during Black Business Month. We hope his inspiring story will encourage entrepreneurs and prospective owners who hope to go into business for themselves one day. BRIX is grateful to have Parker as part of the franchise network. He embodies the spirit of a true entrepreneur who cares for his business, his community, and his team and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Clean Juice. We will continue to support him and our diverse network of franchisees who make a difference every day.?

If you’re interested in learning more about franchising with Clean Juice, visit our franchise website here.

For more information about BRIX Holdings and the other BRIX brands, visit our website here.