Founded in 2001 by former NYPD canine handler Michael Gould, Hounds Town USA has since emerged as a challenger to the more corporate players in the doggie daycare segment. Hounds Town USA’s relatable branding, strong leadership and low cost of entry have fueled the brand’s growth, with eleven open locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, and another 24 in development in eight states.

As the company continues its expansion throughout the U.S., its current franchisees have been enjoying steady growth across the board. In fact, Hounds Town USA has seen a staggering year-over-year average sales increase of 24% for 2018. With some locations operating for almost a decade, this incredible average unit volume has provided even the most established franchisees a reliable upward momentum.

“I grow every single year,” said Marianne Carrano Deszcz, franchise owner in Port Jefferson, New York. “The Hounds Town USA business model has proven to be recession-proof.”

Carrano is certainly not the only franchisee to express a level of pride and revere for the success of Hounds Town USA. Island Park, New York franchisee Lauren Duffy explained that opening her locations at a reasonable cost was easy with the help of Gould and President Jackie Bondanza.

“Each month we see growth in both revenue and volume,” said Duffy. “Plus, the franchise fees and royalties are very reasonable.”

Many of Hounds Town USA’s current franchisees have explained their appreciation for corporate's hands-on approach when it comes to supporting their growth.

“The level of customer service that I got [as a client] was what really prompted me to become a Hounds Town USA owner,” said Deer Park, New York franchisee Teri Brogden. “Mike Gould actually went to the Ronkonkoma, New York location where I was a daycare customer and sent me video checkups of my dog while I was away. I thought it was the greatest thing that he took so much time to care about me as a customer.”

This experience as a customer prompted Brogden to start franchising with Hounds Town USA, and the amount of care has carried over at a corporate level. “The corporate Hounds Town USA team has been wonderful,” she said. “When we first opened our doors we really had no idea what we were doing. They sent employees to help us with routine management issues and dog management issues, which helped a lot because none of us came from a dog background prior.”

Now, Brogden is seeing the same staggering growth that has come to define Hounds Town USA and its franchisees. “I’m very happy with the way that business has been trending,” she said. “After two years I’ve noticed an increase in basically everything across the board. Our location started to break even in the fifth month, which is unheard of with a new business. We also had the benefit of having other Hounds Town USA locations close by, and when they were full we got their overflow.”

For any franchise, happy and successful franchisees are a surefire way to further growth. As Hounds Town USA looks ahead into 2020, the brand is on track to bring in 3-5 new franchisees before the end of 2019, and open 7-10 new stores in 2020.

The startup costs for a Hounds Town USA franchise range from $463,800 to $422,500. The franchise fee starts at $75,000 for two units. To learn more about franchising with Hounds Town USA, visit https://www.houndstownfranchise.com/.

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Luca Piacentini

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Luca Piacentini

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1851 Managing Editor