K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel Secures Multi-Million Dollar Investment for Expansion

With an increased focus on the comfort, health and care of man’s best friend, K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel (K-9 Resorts), the award-winning daycare and luxury boarding franchise system for dogs, has partnered with private equity firm Navigator Partners, LLC for a multi-million dollar investment to fuel the brand’s expansion.

“Navigator Partners is extremely excited to announce our investment and partnership with K-9 Resorts because we have a focus on the franchising industry and consider the pet industry to be one of the fastest growing unbranded franchise segments today,” said Bill Stewart, Managing Partner of Navigator Partners, LLC. “We are excited to partner with the Parkers in building K-9 Resorts as it is the leading franchise system in the luxury pet boarding and daycare business, so we believe this is an excellent investment opportunity. We have a truly long-term investment time horizon because we do not invest out of a structured fund, thus we are looking forward to a partnership with the Parkers and K-9 Resorts much longer than that of a typical investment fund’s three to five year time horizon.”

New Jersey based Navigator Partners, LLC’s principals are investors in several major, successful, franchise systems including Smashburger and FirstLight* HomeCare Franchising, LLC. Navigator Partners, LLC looks forward to partnering with the Parkers to accelerate the growth of the K-9 Resorts franchise system through its investment, significant minority ownership and active participation on the board of directors. Co-Founders Steven and Jason Parker will retain majority ownership of the company and will control the day to day operations; they will also retain 100 percent ownership and control of the flagship location in Fanwood, N.J.

K-9 Resorts was represented throughout the deal by the law firm Greenberg Dauber Epstein and Tucker, and Fox Rothschild represented Navigator Partners, LLC.

“We’ve spent the last five years establishing the K-9 Resorts brand as a franchise, awarding and opening locations and perfecting our system,” said Jason Parker, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of K-9 Resorts. “That’s why we couldn’t be happier to announce our partnership with Navigator Partners, LLC so we can now grow quickly across the country. Our well-defined system and commitment to making our franchisees successful is ideal for the growing pet industry marketplace.”

K-9 Resorts is currently the No. 1 rated boarding facility in New Jersey and rated in the top three in the country. Leveraging its founders’ 17 years of experience in the pet care industry, the brand has an impressive track record of customer service and pet pampering.

K-9 Resorts is also excited to announce that their long time franchise consultant and franchise industry expert, Steve Beagelman, will become a partner in connection with this deal. Beagelman, Founder of SMB Franchise Advisors*, helped launch K-9 Resorts into franchising in 2011.

“K-9 Resorts has grown into a brand with unlimited potential,” commented Beagelman. “I am confident that with Navigator Partners’ support, the next chapter for K-9 will certainly be a successful one. I’ve seen and worked with hundreds of franchise brands during my tenure in the franchise industry, and the K-9 opportunity for potential franchisees really stands out as they continue to develop.”

Now, the brand’s founders have their sights set outside the Garden State, with plans to open 80 new locations over the next five years happily housing hundreds of thousands of happy dogs.