BARK UP THE RIGHT TREE!

Dog lovers say, “So long, Boss” and launch mega-hit
doggy day care!

Central Bark is a daycare company catering to pets. The pet care industry is growing at a record pace. In the beginning, Central Bark's services, says the franchisor, were more of a luxury, but because of busy pet owners, the pet daycare and related services has become more of a necessity.

Running on a treadmill typically wasn’t part of Chris Gaba’s workout routine. But it was the only piece of equipment available at the gym that day in late 2001. On the treadmill was a Newsweek magazine left by the previous person and even though Gaba usually doesn’t read while doing something else, he started flipping through the pages.

Gaba was just getting back to some semblance of balance in his life. Two years earlier, Gaba had left a highly successful corporate career to pursue his true passion. A dog lover his entire life, Gaba’s dream was realized in February 2000 when he opened Central Bark Dog Day Care and Training Center, Inc., in Fort Lauderdale and quickly grew it into one of Broward County’s most successful new ventures.

Someone suggested Gaba franchise his concept, but lawyers advised him to at least open a second location before pursuing franchising. Complicating matters, it was shortly after 9/11 and the entire country seemed to be moving at quarter-speed, Gaba included.

“I was half-heartedly looking at properties, not sure if I had the energy to do it again,” he said. That’s when he came across the full-page color photo in Newsweek of Jackie Jordan, kneeling in a room surrounded by dogs. It was an article profiling small businesses that used technology to help them grow and Jordan’s Doggy Day Care, Inc., which she had started in 1997 in Milwaukee after working for such companies at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Marshall Field’s—stood apart from the other businesses that were profiled, most of them high-tech ventures.

“It was like a shot in the arm when I saw that story,” Gaba recalled. “It was somebody else doing what I wanted to do. I tried to call Jackie but got the screener from hell and could never get through to her. Finally, Jackie called back and we talked for two hours..”

The call was one of many Jordan received after the magazine came out. Even her old tennis coach called. At the time, Jordan had three doggy day care locations in Milwaukee and was also doing some paid consulting work for others looking to enter the industry. Before Gaba called, Jordan was besieged by callers looking for advice—for free.
“I would take some of the calls and answer their questions, but one hour later they were still drilling me with questions,” Jordan said. “I couldn’t do it anymore. I had a business to run.”

Like Gaba, Jordan had considered franchising, but thought the process would be too time-consuming and costly. But the two “jelled” during their conversation and franchising began to make more sense to Jordan as she realized she would be able to share the cost, time, energy and work that it would take.

“My intention was to see if she wanted a partner,” Gaba said. “We both felt this really strong connection about why we had gotten into the doggy day care business, what motivated us and what our core values were. Everything was pretty consistent.”

Fate eventually played its card. In 2003, Gaba and Jordan joined forces to create the most comprehensive franchised doggy day care program available with the launching of Barkley Ventures, Inc., parent company of Central Bark Doggy Day Care. By closely evaluating their own individual operations, Gaba and Jordan collaboratively developed an unparalleled system of best practices and criteria for doggy day care.

Today, Central Bark is the nation’s largest network of day care for dogs that offers programs specifically designed to enhance the safety and well being of dogs in its care, while still providing a social outlet for “dogs to be dogs.” Central Bark’s requirements for day care participation along with its screening, dog handling and management skills set the standard for excellence in the industry. Each dog must undergo an initial behavior assessment to determine enrollment eligibility and a minimum one-day-per-week commitment is required to promote maximum safety and comfort for all dogs.

Every day at Central Bark is filled with stimulation, interaction and play as well as nap and quiet time that result in a happier, well-rounded and better-behaved dog. Central Bark also provides a variety of other services to keep dogs happy and healthy including sleepovers, grooming and training services, a specialty retail boutique and party hosting, as well as canine cab and veterinary services at select locations.

Central Bark currently has 14 franchised and four company-owned locations in Wisconsin (14), Illinois (two), Florida and Pennsylvania (one each). Centers are expected to open soon in Gurnee, IL, Sheboygan, WI, and Minneapolis with mid-2008 openings expected in New Orleans and Naperville, IL. Seven additional locations are in development in Wisconsin (four), Illinois (two) and Florida (one).

While the rest of the nation’s economy seems in a slumber, Central Bark appears unaffected. During a three-week period in March, it opened three Wisconsin locations in Manitowoc, Kenosha and Jackson.

Growth is being targeted primarily on markets east of the Mississippi River, especially in Chicago, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans and Minneapolis, where Central Bark has existing or soon-to-open locations. Plans are to sell at least 12 new franchises in 2008 with a goal of having 50 to 60 locations open by the end of 2010, when a focus on westward expansion would be launched.

“Our growth strategy has been very systematic and strategic,” said Gaba. “We don’t want to oversell. We want to make sure we have the proper support and infrastructure. We are not manufacturing widgets. We are training people to take care of, love and treat these dogs as they do their own.”

The market for pet services has never been stronger. Total pet spending in 2008 is expected to increase almost six percent to $43.4 billion after topping $41 billion in 2007. Spending in 2007 more than doubled the $21 billion spent on pets in 1996, according to the non-profit American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), which said an increase in pampering and gift-giving has fueled the industry.

Central Bark offers its franchise partners—passionate, creative, dog-loving entrepreneurs—a fully integrated, successful business model that also includes its proprietary Barkware doggy day care software that provides a paperless management program to handle scheduling, vaccination reminders, client lists, marketing tools, daily schedules and playgroup assignments, client reminders and notifications.

The innovative Barkware software helped earn Jordan the Newsweek acclaim. After leaving her corporate career, she went on a month-long trip to Africa, where she started conceiving the foundation for the program.

The estimated initial investment for a Central Bark Doggy Day Care franchise ranges from $160,200 to $305,570. Centers average 5,000 to 10,000 square feet in size and include an outdoor play area. Centers are typically located in industrial and light manufacturing areas to meet local zoning requirements. The Central Bark in downtown Milwaukee cares for more than 100 dogs on a daily basis and other locations have waiting lists.
Day care and overnight boarding comprise Central Bark’s main revenue streams while retail, grooming and training services typically make up 30 to 40 percent of sales.

Central Bark franchisees come from all walks of life. While some have had direct kennel and/or pet service experience, many have left the corporate world to try their hand at something new. The company’s first franchisee, Geno Smith, left a 17-year career in the insurance industry to open a Central Bark franchise in North Lake, WI, with his wife, Dawn.

Gaba said franchisees are expected to be hands-on owners, with a true passion for building their dream. Smith was so excited he slept only two hours the night before his opening day.

“The people we attract and the people we’re attracted to have a special place in their heart for dogs and being with dogs,” Gaba continued. “They have a special connection. If you talk to our franchisees it is very apparent. This is not just a business venture.” •

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