Dogtopia, a dog day care and wellness franchise, signed several new franchise agreements with seasoned franchisees from Dunkin’, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Orangetheory Fitness and Sport Clips, which will expand the pet franchise in the Pennsylvania, Florida and California regions. Over the past few years, the Dogtopia franchise system has experienced an influx of experienced operators looking to diversify their portfolios, coming from industries such as hospitality, childcare, restaurants and fitness, among others.
“We are thrilled that Dogtopia continues to be the brand of choice for experienced multi-unit franchisees looking to diversify their current holdings,” said Neil Gill, president and CEO of Dogtopia. “There is no other sector that is poised for such explosive growth than the pet industry. Dogtopia is not only the largest dog day care in the world, it is the premier choice in the pet services category with proven scalability, well-defined systems, tools, processes and clear differentiation.”
Behind the Pennsylvania development is Al and AJ Rodriguez, who purchased rights to Pittsburgh, and plan to develop the remaining territories in the market. Al and his son AJ are experienced multi-unit franchisees with Sport Clips, operating 34 units with more in development.
“Al and I both have two dogs and have had dogs in our homes all our life. We were initially introduced to Dogtopia as a customer, as I take my puppy to Dogtopia nearby my home and loved the concept. We are multi-unit franchisees and business owners in other brands and have been looking to diversify for a while but couldn't quite find the right concept until Dogtopia,” AJ Rodriguez said. “Dogtopia reminds us of Sport Clips in a lot of ways, and we are excited to be a part of what we feel will be explosive growth in the coming years. We're very much excited to join the Dogtopia family.”
Also joining the Dogtopia family are Danny and Trinette Rosales, who will bring three new locations to Palm Coast, Fla., an area south of Jacksonville. Danny recently opened his 16th Jersey Mike’s franchise, and has 19 more in development. Additionally, he also owns two Orangetheory Fitness franchises.
“With Palm Coast being one of the newest cities in the U.S., my wife and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring multiple Dogtopia locations to the community,” said Danny Rosales. “We are avid dog lovers and saw a rare opportunity to open a business we were passionate about and that is community-driven. Dogtopia stood out from other pet service brands because of their focus on daycare, unparalleled support with 70 team members, franchise-experienced leadership and the highest health and safety protocols in the industry. We didn't find any other brand that compared.”
Finally, Omair Nasim will develop six new Dogtopia locations in Sacramento, Calif. Nasim is an experienced multi-unit franchisee operating eight Dunkin’ Donuts locations since 2012, with many more units in development.
“Being born and raised in the Sacramento area, I am excited to join the Dogtopia family and bring its offerings to this community,” Nasim said. “Dogtopia represents the highest level of care and service, both of which are keystones to my business philosophy. I look forward to working with the experienced and talented team at Dogtopia to make our collective vision a reality.”