Franchisee Stories
After years in medical distribution and real estate, Orlando and Luisa Solis chose a petbar franchise in Austin, Texas, that reflects their faith, love of animals and plans for family stability.
When Luisa and Orlando Solis talk about their petbar, they don’t start with profit projections or market share. They talk about their three kids, their faith and the kind of future they want their family to see up close — one built on ownership, not just paychecks.
“My first goal is security for my family,” Orlando said. “If something happens to me, Luisa and the kids will still have the business.”
Franchising has been on Orlando’s mind since he was about 22. Over the years, he and Luisa kicked the tires on brands like Menchie’s and Wingstop, but something was always off. They were too young, not financially ready or simply not passionate about the product. So they kept building other businesses instead.
They launched a medical distribution company, then shifted into real estate in 2013, building a career in Austin, Texas. Orlando worked as an agent at big brokerages before opening his own in 2017 and hiring a team. On paper, it was the classic entrepreneurial climb. In reality, it felt fragile.
“Real estate isn’t doing well now, and if something happens to me, the business goes with me,” he said.
Luisa, who had been home while the kids were little, felt the same tension. Real estate could be lucrative, but it did not feel like something they could easily pass down or involve the kids in from a young age. She wanted more stability and a business their children — who adore animals — could eventually step into.
The turning point came in small moments. The family first visited petbar as customers, just to try it. The kids loved it. The environment felt warm and welcoming, more like a family outing than an errand. It stuck with them.
Then, one day at his favorite coffee shop, Orlando noticed a petbar next door and finally asked the question that changed everything: Was it a franchise? When he heard yes, he called Luisa immediately and told her, “This is it.”
Within four days, they were on a plane to Dallas to meet founders Dan and Ashley O’Loughlin. The speed wasn’t impulsive; it was pent-up readiness. The couple had been praying for an opportunity that felt right for their family. Sitting across from the founders, they felt like that prayer had been answered.
After years of building businesses from scratch, the structure of franchising appealed to Orlando.
“I thought buying a franchise meant you got the playbooks, the know-how and everything ready for you,” he said. “That’s what appealed to me — the chance to skip the years of building from scratch.”
He also appreciated that a franchise comes with rules.
“The big difference is you have rules to follow, but that’s a good thing,” he said. “Even though you’re not creating the concept, you’re creating jobs and can build as big as you want.”
For Luisa, the appeal was the same structure, viewed through a different lens. She likes clear instructions and predictable processes, and the franchise model gave her the confidence to step out of the stay-at-home role and into ownership.
“I’m not as entrepreneurial as him,” she said. “I like instructions, and the franchise process holds my hand through each step. It makes everything less stressful and more predictable.”
petbar, specifically, felt like a match. Luisa loved that the brand attracts people who love animals and treat them — and each other — with kindness. Orlando was drawn to the operations: the station-based layout that reminded him of McDonald’s, the online booking system, the way staff interacted with pets. It looked simple to run and easy to scale.
“It felt simple and scalable. That’s why we bought two,” he said. “Start with one, then immediately go for the second, and hopefully expand more.”
Underneath the business logic is a clear family goal: security and legacy.
The kids are already asking when they can work in the shop and, for the Solises, that curiosity is the point. In real estate, the kids only saw Orlando leave for work and come home with a check. With petbar, they’ll see the storefront, the team, the customers and the daily decisions that keep a business running.
It mirrors what Orlando saw growing up in Mexico, where he watched family-run businesses up close, and he wants his kids to have that same firsthand view of entrepreneurship.
If there is one piece of advice the Solises offer to other families considering franchising, it has less to do with the industry and more to do with the people.
“Pay attention to the people you’re aligning with,” Orlando said. “Transparency and honesty are key. Meet the owners and see if you connect, and make sure they’ll support you.”
For them, Dan and Ashley at petbar checked those boxes: welcoming, transparent and deeply involved in the brand they built.
“That’s why we chose petbar,” Luisa said. “What they promised is exactly what we’ve seen.”
“For us, it felt like Texas: a handshake and a family vibe,” Orlando said. “That made all the difference.”
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