Dogtopia is the largest provider of dog daycare in North America, offering premier daycare, boarding, and spa services within the rapidly expanding billion-dollar pet industry. Our journey from inception to our current position in the pet care market can be largely attributed to our growth strategy, which includes a strong platform for franchisees to establish and grow successful Dogtopia locations in their communities.

In a recent discussion with Franchise Update Media, Dogtopia’s Chief Growth Officer, Alex Samios, shared his insights on various aspects of franchise development at Dogtopia. He addressed the role of digital marketing and technology, the challenges and opportunities of the pet industry, the significance of fostering strong relationships between franchisors and franchisees, and more.

When asked what marketing efforts he prefers for attracting new franchisees, Samios said, “Our goal has always been to build a recurring sales engine and not rely too heavily on one lead source. You must be diversified. Relying too heavily on brokers can be a perilous avenue. That means having a strong diversified marketing plan that includes a little bit of every vehicle: print, social, SEM, PR, trade shows, brokers, etc. In this environment, you need a healthy budget to compete and stand out.”

As for what excites him about the future of Dogtopia, Samios reflected on the brand’s impressive growth and impact. “We are close to opening our 300th location and we also have another 300+ units already sold. So, there is a clear path to more than 600 locations. From where we came nine years ago, it is exciting to think about the brand with that footprint of bringing the best in dog daycare, boarding, and spa services to communities across North America.”

He added, “As the largest, leading, and fastest-growing pet wellness brand, we have passed our tipping point and are the only brand in our category that has truly proven scale. Our largest franchisee currently operates 35 locations. Over the next few years, we will be laser-focused on continuing to increase performance and AUVs of our existing portfolio while accelerating the opening of the next 300.”

Learn more about Samios’s approach to marketing, franchise development, and more here.