The Dog Stop Sets Sights on NYC
The Dog Stop® is thrilled to announce that they have signed multiple franchise deals in the third quarter of 2022 that will bring more than 20 locations.
The Dog Stop, a full-service dog care company, is plotting an expansion to New York City.
"New York City, especially Manhattan, is a market that we've always seen potential within due to its rapidly growing population of pet parents and proximity to our national headquarters in Pittsburgh," The Dog Stop co-founder and CEO Jesse Coslov told the New York Business Journal.
In New York City, The Dog Stop is searching for investors who are interested in becoming multi-unit operators.
"Our ideal partners would be interested in helping us expand into the New York market on the manager and regional style rather than a traditional owner-operator," Coslov said.
Founded in 2009, the company opened its first three franchise locations in the Pittsburgh area in 2014 before opening its first out-of-state franchise in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2015. The franchise has since expanded to Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, Delaware, Ohio and Virginia.
The Dog Stop locations are currently under construction in Washington, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Long Island, Coslov said. By spring 2023, The Dog Stop aims to be in 20 states.
"Our approach to franchising is a unique because we're very conservative on expansion," Coslov said. "We believe in being economical and making the spaces that we have available work for us, especially in the New York market."
Most The Dog Spot spaces range from 5,000 to 15,000 square feet and have roughly 15 employees. Prospective spaces in New York City range from 3,500 to 7,000 square feet.
The Dog Stop has hired Dallas, T.X-based Swearingen Realty to lead their search for space in New York City. Franvest is a private equity group tasked with expanding the company's presence similar to their past partner, OrangeTheory Fitness, who expanded from 11 locations to 1,800 locations across 30 countries.
The Dog Stop is among the latest pet care companies to expand in New York City. Petco inked a deal for the largest retail space in Manhattan during the first quarter of 2022 – totaling 30,000 square feet – in Union Square while also opening a SoHo location last year. Biscuits and Bath opened two Manhattan locations last year, including a 1,400-square-foot space in Battery Park City and a 400-square-foot space in Hell's Kitchen.
"We're incredibly bullish on New York and the pet market broadly," Coslov said. "New York could support around 30 locations spread across all five boroughs. Perhaps, even more."
