Grand Opening in Fairfield, NJ

K9 Resorts recently celebrated our grand opening in Fairfield, NJ! We would like to congratulate new owners Andy and Darcie Lubalin, as well as thank the hundreds of new customers who came out to celebrate with us. Though there was rain, the sun was certainly shining upon the many smiling faces!

Here are some photos of the amazing day:

Franchise Owners Andy & Darcie Lubalin celebrate the Grand Opening of K9 Resorts of Fairfield, NJ

Hundreds of new customers come out to see the new K9 Resorts facility!

Bouncy House for family fun!

Face paintin

Front view of K9 Resorts of Fairfield! 

Co-Founder Jason Parker giving tours to eager guests

All front desk staff taking reservations and creating new client accounts

Cutting the ribbon!

Creating new client accounts

Franchisee Spotlight: Teresa DeSousa and Ivan Kaplan

Teresa holds a Bachelor’s degree in both sociology and history, and held a position as Director of Human Resources for a small consulting firm before realizing she wanted to start her own small business. Teresa is a big animal lover, and the chance to open up an animal-oriented business appealed to her and her business partner Ivan.

Ivan has been a lawyer since 1991, and decided to leave law to pursue a business that coincides with his love for animals. After 20 years of law practice, he decided to take his life down a different career path. 

How did you learn about the brand? Why did you choose the brand?

Ivan lives close to the franchise headquarters and saw a billboard for the K9 franchise. We were discussing doggy daycare options because, let’s be honest, who wouldn't want to play with dogs all day? I knew what I wanted and what I expected as an owner, and wanted to make that dream a reality.

What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A franchise allows you the freedom of owning your own business, while utilizing a model. I don’t have to recreate anything, but K-9 is specifically great because the owners are open to suggestions. There is room for give and take, and franchising in general is a smart thing to do. I wasn't thinking about buying into a franchise initially, however once I received more information, I knew this is what we wanted to do.  

What makes your business different?

K9 is a great location for dogs and it is known for its cleanliness. It’s a different experience for customers and their animals; it’s more of a spa experience. We don’t want these dogs left in cages all day; the animals should be taken care of well. It’s horrible when places isolate the dogs they’re boarding.

How do you connect with the local community through your business?

We want to give back to the community so one of the things we would like to do is work with developmentally challenged individuals who can receive therapy and socialization from working with dogs. Whether it be watching or feeding the animals, the act of spending time with dogs can be very therapeutic and nurturing. We will also get involved with civic community activities, as well as fundraising. We will work with the police and fire department for raising awareness on safety.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?

The uncertainty of opening up a new business is always a struggle. I had to quit my job and do temporary work so I had the time to start K9. There is a huge learning curve and a lot of involvement with architects, engineers, general contractors, and electricians. These things are new to me, as I've worked in corporate most of my career.

What are your expansion or development plans?

We would like to get this one off the ground first. Perhaps in the future we will open more locations.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?

I’m a huge fan of the New York Yankees and New York Giants, and I also love to travel.

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel Signs Third Franchisee in New Jersey

New Jersey native makes bold career change and teams up with K-9 Resorts to pursue his true passion for dogs

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel, the nation’s emerging pet facility franchise, has signed its third franchisee since its franchise launch in early 2011. New Jersey native, Bill Ippolito, will become a first-time business owner as he plans to open the brand’s third location in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

“Bill’s decision to change his career and pursue his true passion for dogs is exactly the type of entrepreneur we want to help launch our franchise system,” said K-9 Resorts’ Co-Founder and CEO Steven Parker. “We are thrilled to now be the go-to luxury pet facility in Monmouth County, and look to be a community leader in the area for many years to come.”

Bill Ippolito has been a physicians assistant for the past 10 years, and while he enjoyed his career in medicine, Bill felt it was time for a change. A lifelong dog owner, Bill has always had a strong connection to the pet care industry. Inspired by the entrepreneurial success of Steve and Jason Parker, the co-founders of K-9 Resorts, Bill decided to invest early in the franchise. Despite the brother’s young age, Bill was impressed by their professionalism, customer service and passion for pet care.

Over the years, Bill had experienced many other pet care facilities that did not make safety, care and customer service priority. When deciding to open a pet care business, K-9 Resorts was the first choice that came to mind because of the high-quality daycare experience each pet receives, and the incredible trust Steven and Jason have built with each customer. Bill saw a high demand for these types of services in the Monmouth County area and approached the Parker brothers about opening a franchise.

“As a lifetime dog owner, I understand the need to have a safe, clean and trustworthy place to leave a pet,” said Bill Ippolito. “I share the same values as Steven and Jason and ultimately have similar visions and goals. I am not only excited about becoming a first-time business owner but also helping build K9 from the ground up. This brand has incredible potential and I can’t wait to be a part of its future.”

“Our goal is to build K-9 Resorts into the nation’s largest pet care franchise company, but do so, staying true to our mission of being No. 1 in quality,” said Jason Parker. “We believe we’ve got our business down to a proven system that works, and can’t wait to teach our secrets to our first franchisees.”

Based in Fanwood, NJ, K-9 Resorts is expanding throughout the region and plans to open six locations this year alone throughout the state. Targeting areas where time-strapped pet owners are looking for a way to keep their pooch occupied during the day, K-9 Resorts has aggressive growth plans in greater New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut region.

Franchisee Profile: Dan and Lisa Cody

Projected Opening: Summer 2012

Location: TBA, New Jersey

Q: Where do you live?

A: Dan: My wife, Lisa, and I have both lived in Lodi, NJ in Bergen County our whole lives.

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: Dan: I own a bonding and insurance company.

     Lisa: I am an elementary school teacher.

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: Dan: We have been thinking about owning another business for a while and we were looking for about a year before we came across K-9. We saw an ad in NJ Monthly and started to look more into the brand.

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: Dan: We saw a presentation when we went to a franchise seminar for K-9 and were really impressed with the business and the model that was already in place.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: Dan: We both bring different aspects to the business because I have first-hand experience running a business and Lisa has a lot of experience with animals. She loves pets and is very involved in the animal community and volunteers at the Bergen County Animal Shelter.

Q: Why did you choose to enter this industry?

A: Dan: We are both big animal-lovers and enjoy working with them. We have fostered and adopted several pets over the years. We currently have two Wheaten Terriers.

Q: What makes your business different?

A: Dan: What stood out the most to us about K-9 is that the animals and their owners are all treated with so much respect and the facility itself is so inviting.

Q: How does your business connect with the community?

A: Lisa: We will definitely be very involved with animal shelters and organizations because that is extremely important to us.

K-9 Resorts featured on TheStreet.com

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel was featured on TheStreet.com in an article titled, “When Customers Become Franchisees,” that ran online on Monday, October 31, 2011. This article was based on an interview with franchisee Andy Lubalin and co-founder, chairman, and CEO Steven Parker. Steven spoke about the development of the concept and how the franchise intends to grow throughout the Northeast. In addition, Andy Lubalin offered great praise about how the customer service and cleanliness of the K-9 operation, along with the solid business model, were the main reasons that he and his wife decided to invest into this concept. Click here to read the article, or begin reading below.

When Customers Become Franchisees
By Laurie Kulikowski

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel was founded by two brothers in the dog-walking and pet-sitting business in New Jersey who decided to combine the operations -- then to expand a quickly successful business through the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area.

"We always knew wanted several stores," co-owner Steven Parker says.

They decided franchising was the best way to do that and officially became a franchised operation this year.

(Continue reading...)