Pet Wants Franchisee Sets New Record For Revenue Sales Within His Very First Month

Jerry Luzynski has dreamt of owning a small business for a long time, and in 2023, he finally took the leap as a franchisee with Pet Wants in Chesterfield, Michigan. However, the business may not be as small as he initially thought — Luzynski managed to set a record with the brand for the highest sales revenue within a month. And he did so in his very first month of operation. 

Luzynski didn’t do it alone, however; he had a team working alongside him, consisting of his wife, Lisa, and three children Lauren, Kathryn and Jack. 

“We anticipated that we would spend a lot of time on the business,” Luzynski said. “I didn’t want to give up that time together, so we are doing it together.”

As lifelong pet lovers, the initial idea of opening a Pet Wants franchise was met with great enthusiasm by his family. In researching the brand further, Luzynski was sold when he saw the positive impact the products had on his own beloved pet.

“We quickly switched Charlie, our 10-year-old lab, over to Pet Wants’ food, and he's been on it now for a while, and it's amazing the gains he has made in terms of energy and a softer coat,” Luzynski said. “He has started to act like he's a lot younger than he really is.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Luzynski about his journey into franchising with Pet Wants and his plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Luzynski: Prior to franchising, I had been in data and analytics; I had specifically focused on the industries of automotive and healthcare. My role and my career involved trying to bring solutions to companies so they could understand their data and how it could lead to insights that would influence business change that drive improved, measurable outcomes.

Around the middle of 2023, some changes occurred at my company that I had been with for over 10 years and it was time to make a change. My wife and I took a step back, and she knew that it was on my bucket list forever to own and operate a small business, so we started to research different franchise concepts. I worked with a career coach just to figure out if this was the right path for us and it turned out after all the questionnaires, discussions and introspection, it was something I wanted to do and something I was suited to do. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Luzynski: My perception of franchising dated back 15 years prior because I had explored the concept when I was studying for my MBA. It was something that came up in a project I was working on, so it really intrigued me. At that time, I already had a positive outlook on it, but we just weren't ready from a family and capital standpoint to even consider making that investment. Our kids were much younger at the time. 

Fast forward to 2023 — I believe that it allows people to run a business very independently. However, you have the guidance and constructs from up above at the franchisor level and I think Pet Wants does a really good job of that. We've had a lot of support, but I do believe, like anything else, you get out what you put into it. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Luzynski: My wife and I have been pet lovers forever. We have always had a dog in the family and then it grew to two dogs and then, eventually, a third dog. Prior to that, I grew up with pets. And when I took a step back to think about what kind of business I wanted to own, my family’s interests were a big factor. I wanted something that my family could get excited about.

We have three kids, and there were other concepts I was interested in, but it would have been very much my project and my business alone. I wanted something that would appeal to all of us. When I mentioned Pet Wants, everyone was intrigued. We realized that a lot of times when we're out on walks or in a different city, we're the people who stop and want to ask the owner,  “What kind of dog is that?” 

Another factor in our decision was our previous experience with our own dogs. Two of our dogs passed around 10 years old and it just felt like they had a lot more life to live. After researching Pet Wants, we realized that we could have done better in terms of health and nutrition for them. We quickly switched Charlie, our 10-year-old lab, over to Pet Wants’ food, and he's been on it now for a while and it's amazing the gains he has made in terms of energy and a softer coat. He has started to act like he's a lot younger than he really is. We’ve seen the benefits first hand.

1851: You’ve recently set a brand record for the highest sales revenue in a month in your first month after training. What do you attribute this success to?

Luzynski: I really do believe, from all the training we were provided with, that there was a foundational message that generating brand awareness through events, fairs and markets is really critical. We embraced that immediately; we started trying to book events, per corporate’s recommendations, prior to us opening on March 1, so that when we got back home from training, we were ready to go with some events. 

We tried to fill up every weekend in March. I believe that the guidance they provided was very helpful because it wasn't just being at the events that made the difference. We had to know how to engage with the consumers. The training the brand provided us on the types of food we offer — what's in those foods that make them so healthy and nutritious and fresh, as well as giving us a diverse set of training — was very helpful. If we didn't have that we would have struggled at the events, but we had so much knowledge thanks to our training.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Luzynski: We plan to open our first store by March of 2025, so that’ll be our first retail brick-and-mortar. We are already working with the recommended commercial real estate company that Pet Wants corporate provides to find a location. Our goal is to scale quickly early on, so to go from one event per weekend to two, and so on. This past weekend, we were at four different locations in our ninth week of business ownership.

We also realized we can't do it alone, which was emphasized to us in training. We were told to find a way to start to think about scaling early on, and you can't clone yourself. We have already hired a couple of part-timers to help out and they are our event specialists. We hope to go from one store in 2025 to two stores two-to-three years later. 

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Luzynski: We're a close-knit family. We do a lot of things together. We anticipated that we would spend a lot of time on the business and we are, and I didn’t want to give up that time together so we are doing it together.

Being an entrepreneur gives you flexibility in your schedule, but early on you're still spending a lot of time there. So you want to do it with those that you love and those that you trust. Being able to spend time with my three kids and my wife in building this business and seeing the different roles they play has already been really fun and it's amazing seeing their individual growth, too.

Something my wife and I talked about was that it's nice to know that if you work hard, you may have the opportunity to pass on a legacy business to one or all of your kids down the road. I'm the owner-operator, but we share ownership; my wife, Lisa, and our oldest daughter, Lauren, are 60% owners, so essentially we are a women-owned business. 

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Luzynski: Don’t let your fear or doubts get in the way. 

ABOUT PET WANTS:

Pet Wants is a pet health and wellness company that strives to improve the nutrition, health, vitality, and well-being of pets. Founded in 2010, the brand’s specially crafted, private-label pet food formulas are made in small batches with fresh, natural ingredients complete with vitamins and minerals for a complete and balanced diet in every bowl, all made in the USA. Pet Wants has set a new standard in what you should expect in your pet food through their 140+ locations across the United States. To learn more about Pet Wants, visit https://www.petwants.com/ or follow Pet Wants on LinkedIn, @petwantsusa on Facebook, @petwants on Twitter and Instagram.