Fort Lauderdale petbar Owners Built a Following After Opening During COVID

Camila Carignano and Joaquín Lopez own a petbar franchise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but their store is really the second chapter. Married and newly arrived from Argentina, they built their pet grooming and self-wash business during the uncertainty of COVID — and kept it growing through memberships and local trust.

A Leap That Started Before COVID

Their move to the United States was already in motion when the pandemic hit. Carignano said the decision came down to practical realities, even as they still felt connected to home.

“Everything started before COVID. We wanted to move to the U.S. because of the issues in Argentina — the economy, security and all that,” Carignano said. “Argentina is a beautiful place, but after 25 years there, it can be complicated and challenging. Even with good careers, we started thinking about moving to the U.S.”

They worked with a franchise broker and nearly signed with a concept that had nothing to do with pets. Then they pushed the search toward a business that matched their day-to-day interests. petbar was still new in franchising at the time, which raised the stakes. Carignano said what made the decision feel workable was the way the brand’s leadership treated them as people first — especially as they worked through a language barrier.

“They were really nice to us. They were really patient,” Carignano said. “They listened to us, talked with us and even used their hands when they talked so we could understand better. Not everybody is like that. For us, that mattered because we were in a whole new country, far from home.”

Opening During COVID, With a Different Kind of Challenge

The pandemic complicated nearly every business plan in 2022, but it also reshaped the real estate market. Empty storefronts and lower rents created choice — and time to be selective.

“For us, we didn’t see it as difficult. For us, it was the opposite — it was opportunity,” Carignano said. “There were a lot of empty stores because businesses were closing. We had the opportunity to do a lot of research. We looked at more than 100 locations.”

The hardest part, she said, was not opening the store. It was navigating immigration in a world of closed airports, limited flights and shuttered embassies.

“The difficult part wasn’t the business,” Carignano said. “It was our immigration process. At the beginning, we didn’t have authorization to live in the country. We had to travel out of the country several times — with airports closed and not many flights available. We got stuck in different countries.”

Once they were able to operate more consistently, the concept found traction quickly.

“petbar is a great business,” Carignano said. “The model is really good. Even though the economy was hard, people came in. I explained how it worked — the membership and the system — and they really liked it.”

Earning Trust in a New Market

In pet care, credibility is earned in small moments: a familiar face at drop-off, a steady routine and owners who stay close to the day-to-day. Carignano and Lopez leaned into that from the start, especially as newcomers building a customer base during a period when many people felt cautious about everything.

“We were in the store from the beginning,” Carignano said. “My husband was polishing the floor. We worked on the construction. We were there the whole time.”

Lopez said that presence carried extra weight because customers were getting to know the brand and the owners at the same time. “When it’s a new business — and especially with dogs — people want to feel confident,” he said. “They want to see the owner. Even today, we’re there most days, because they need to feel comfortable dropping off their dogs.”

That daily visibility helped bridge the natural hesitation that can come with unfamiliar faces in a service built on trust. “We’re not American, obviously,” Lopez said. “So they had to build trust in us. It was a new business with new people.”

Memberships That Build Relationships, Not Just Revenue

The membership program helped level out revenue swings, but its bigger effect showed up on the floor. Familiar dogs started cycling through the schedule. Staff members recognized owners by name. Drop-offs became quicker. Pickups turned into short conversations. What began as appointments gradually turned into regular routines.

“The membership system is really good because you keep the client,” Lopez said. “They sign up and they come every month, and you build a relationship. We still have members from 2022— the first day we opened. We see them every week. Sometimes we see them more than our best friends.”

The consistency also makes it easier to notice small changes and tailor service to the dog in front of them. “It’s good for the dog because our team — and even us — can track things like ear infections or skin issues,” Lopez said. “We can say, ‘It’s getting better,’ or, ‘This time we need to do a special shampoo.’”

And for the owners, the best part is getting a front-row seat to the dogs’ lives. “You see them growing,” Lopez said. “They come for the first time as a puppy, then two or three years later you’ve seen every stage. It creates a different relationship. It’s really good.”

A Partnership With Clear Lanes

Carignano and Lopez run the business together, but not by doing the same things. Lopez said the day-to-day works because they divide responsibilities by strengths and trust the other to own decisions.

“We trust each other, and we divide the work based on what we like and what we’re good at,” Lopez said. “I hate being in front of the computer doing paperwork and taxes, and she loves it. I like talking with customers and being at the front. If she decides something in her area, I don’t argue. If I decide something in mine, she doesn’t argue. We trust each other.”

Planning Growth Without Breaking the Model

Customers regularly ask about additional locations, and the couple is thinking about expansion. Still, Carignano said their priority is execution — running the store the way the system is designed to run, then scaling the right way.

“If you buy a franchise, you should follow the rules,” Carignano said. “We’re not looking to do something corporate doesn’t approve. We focus on running the store the way corporate says. At the same time, they’re open to ideas. If we think a package would work, they listen and we can see if it makes sense.”

For Carignano and Lopez, launching during COVID did not become their identity — it became their proving ground. They built the business by being present, staying consistent and turning memberships into relationships that last. The result is a petbar boutique that feels less like a storefront and more like a community routine — one appointment, one dog and one returning customer at a time.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/petbar.