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After nearly two decades in the mortgage industry, Aaron Gore was ready for something different. His wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deann-gore-b7023b23b?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-manager-to-multi-unit-owner-why-this-couple-is-expanding-with-petbar-in-north-texas-2731593" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Deann</a>, had recently rediscovered her own professional passion — working with dogs — and together, they saw an opportunity to build something meaningful, community-driven and entirely their own through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petbarinc.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-manager-to-multi-unit-owner-why-this-couple-is-expanding-with-petbar-in-north-texas-2731593" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">petbar</a> franchise.Today, the Gores own a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/info">petbar</a> boutique in McKinney, Texas, and have officially finalized the lease and broken ground on a second location in Prosper, set to open in August.&nbsp;<h2>From Stay-at-Home Mom to Multi-Unit Owner</h2>For years, Deann focused on raising their two children while Aaron built his career as a mortgage executive. About three years ago, Deann returned to the workforce part-time at petbar in Frisco, Texas. What began as a flexible opportunity quickly turned into something much bigger.“After she was there for about a year, she and I both decided that I was going to get out of the rat race,” Aaron said. “She loved working with animals and managing the store, so we decided to purchase our own.”Unlike many franchisees who explore multiple brands before committing, the Gores didn’t shop around.“As far as why we chose petbar, we are both animal lovers and she just loves working with the dogs every day,” Aaron said. “Neither she nor I had any experience with the franchise model. We made the decision to buy into the franchise and own our own store, but there was no consideration of other franchises.”For Deann,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/why-petbar-is-the-best-franchise-opportunity-in-the-pet-space-2730196">the petbar model's transparency stood out immediately</a>. “Every time we would take our dog out to a groomer and you drop them out in the front door and don’t know what happens in the back, that always bothered me,” she said. “That is one of the things I fell in love with petbar — it is so open and you know what is going on behind the scenes.”The brand’s boutique layout — combining professional grooming, bathing and self-wash stations all in one bright, open space — aligned perfectly with what she wanted as both a dog owner and operator.<h2>A Unique Path to Multi-Unit Ownership</h2>The Gores originally had their sights set on building in Prosper. But their expansion path took an unexpected turn.“Our experience is a little different than most,” Aaron said. “As we were looking for the location to build our store in Prosper, an opportunity came up from an existing franchisee selling their location in McKinney. We purchased that location.”That McKinney store became their first petbar boutique, and they’ve now operated it for about two years. Deann manages their McKinney location full time — and is preparing to oversee their second boutique in Prosper.“So far, everything has been going well,” Aaron said. “It’s a pretty stable business. There is not much impact based on the economy. Although it is a luxury, it feels like people don’t stop spending money on their pet’s well-being.”Now, with their lease signed and construction officially underway in Prosper, the Gores are building the location they initially envisioned from the beginning. From the start,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/why-the-largest-multi-unit-owners-are-also-the-founders-of-the-petbar-franchise-2731431#featured">multi-unit ownership</a> was part of their long-term plan.“We never took our sights off of the original location we wanted to build in and be in,” Deann said. “We considered all along having multiple stores.”<h2>Building Community One Dog at a Time</h2>For Aaron, who has long had an entrepreneurial spirit, owning a petbar represents both freedom and fulfillment. “I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my career — when I was about 21, I started my first company,” he said. “It’s nice knowing that I’m putting all the time in and it’s going toward my own thing.”Although Deann handles day-to-day management, Aaron often stops by simply to connect. “Deann manages the store and I love these dogs,” he said. “Sometimes I go in there just to go meet all the different people — I’ve gotten to know tons of our clients.”That&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/pet-grooming-franchise-opportunity-2729681">community connection</a> has been one of the most rewarding aspects of ownership.And as first-time franchisees, the duo say having strong franchisor support has been critical. “We both really enjoy working with the petbar team and love the support they give us,” Aaron said. “They are always available and always willing to help.”That partnership has given them the confidence to grow. With Prosper set to open in August 2026 and momentum building, the Gores are already thinking ahead.“Once the new store is up and running, we might consider opening a third location depending on where we are geographically and the expansion of the market,” Aaron said.From a stay-at-home mom managing a single store to multi-unit operators breaking ground on their second boutique, Aaron and Deann Gore’s journey reflects the scalability and stability of the petbar model.&nbsp;To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar">https://1851franchise.com/petbar</a>.

From Manager to Multi-Unit Owner: Couple Expands petbar Franchise in North Texas

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Aaron and Deann Gore successfully transitioned out of corporate roles and stay-at-home parenting to become multi-unit franchise owners with the pet grooming and self-wash concept. 

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From Manager to Multi-Unit Owner: Why This Couple Is Expanding With petbar in North Texas

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In franchising, there is no stronger signal of confidence than when founders continue to put their own capital back into the system they created. At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petbarinc.com/franchise/">petbar</a>, the boutique dog grooming franchise, that signal is unmistakable. Husband-and-wife founders&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-o-loughlin-b6a6b911a/">Dan</a> and<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-wible-o-loughlin-b889831b/"> Ashley O’Loughlin</a> are not only the visionaries behind the boutique pet grooming brand, they are also its largest multi-unit franchise owners. For prospective franchisees, that choice speaks volumes about&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/info">petbar’s franchise opportunity</a>.<h2>From a Single Store to a Scalable Model</h2>petbar’s story began in Texas in 2015, long before franchising was even part of the plan. Dan came from the gym and tanning industries, while Ashley brought a corporate consulting background.“We started seeing signs that the industry was eroding,” Dan said. “We were looking for something different, something more durable.”When they signed a lease for what would become the first petbar, they were ready for a new challenge but unsure exactly where it would lead. The opportunity appeared unexpectedly when the couple’s groomer moved away. Rather than scramble for a replacement, they began researching the pet grooming space.&nbsp;“We stumbled into a dog concept because our groomer was leaving,” Dan said. “We realized this was a need not just for us but for other people too. We opened our own location in 2015 in Texas, and it just took off. Within two years, we were exploding at the seams. The second location took off like crazy. That’s really where it all started.”<h2>Passion First, Profit Second</h2>Unlike many franchise stories, petbar was not born from a spreadsheet. “We didn’t get involved because we were trying to make money per se,” Dan said. “We got involved because we had that passion.”After the second location, the O’Loughlins had a big decision to make. “We were deciding whether to open more stores ourselves or look into franchising,” Dan said. “The idea of spreading petbar faster in different markets was exciting.”They launched franchising with a business model centered around low overhead, recurring membership revenue, and simplified operations. In the first two years,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/petbar-10-years-strong-franchise-growth-2730938#featured">the brand opened a whopping 25 locations</a>.“The reason petbar was able to grow so fast was because our owners love animals,” Dan said. “They want something driven by the community. Once they walked into a location and saw what was going on, it was kind of magical.”Yet even as petbar grew nationally, the founders never stepped away from store-level operations. Instead, they doubled down.“We had the two locations, and we really enjoyed the business,” Dan said. “It felt like something we wanted to keep doing. We started growing it, and before we knew it, we owned more stores.”Today, they operate six locations themselves, making them the brand’s largest multi-unit owners. “We can’t help ourselves,” Dan said. “We want to keep growing every which way we can.”<h2>A Family Business, Literally</h2>petbar’s reinvestment story is also a family story. All three of the O’Loughlins’ children are involved in the business.“My oldest daughter operates two locations in Houston,” Dan said. “My son works a lot on the franchise side and at the store level, and our youngest helps operate the front area. It really is a family business.”That hands-on involvement strengthens the brand’s culture. “We really love building teams and watching people grow,” Ashley said. “Our stores feel like a work family.”<h2>Why Founder-Owned Units Matter to Franchisees</h2>The significance of founder-owned units goes beyond optics. “We’re knee-deep in the trenches,” Dan said. “We’ve built this from the ground up. There’s nothing that surprises us because we’ve seen every angle of the business.”That firsthand experience is a key to the brand’s&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/petbar-franchise-opportunity-2729672#franchisor-stories">franchisee support</a>. “A lot of my time is fielding calls from franchisees,” Dan said. “We know what we’re talking about because we live it.”Ashley noted that their corporate stores can also serve as testing grounds for innovation. “We can pilot new marketing ideas, new services and different approaches in different markets before rolling them out systemwide,” she said. “That’s a huge advantage.”<h2>A Signal to Prospective Franchisees</h2>In franchising, alignment between the franchisees and the franchisor matters. When founders choose to remain operators, they tie their personal financial outcomes to the same unit-level performance as their franchisees.For Dan and Ashley, owning six locations is about conviction. Their continued reinvestment sends a clear message: petbar works at the unit level. It scales across markets and it is built for the long term.“We’re building something for the long haul,” Dan said. “That’s always been the goal.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit<a href="https://www.petbarinc.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=petbar-franchise-opportunity-2729672">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/">https://1851franchise.com/petbar/</a>.

Why the Largest Multi-Unit Owners Are Also the Founders of the petbar Franchise

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When husband-and-wife team&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-o-loughlin-b6a6b911a/">Dan</a> and<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-wible-o-loughlin-b889831b/"> Ashley O’Loughlin</a> opened the first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petbarinc.com/franchise/">petbar</a> in Highland Park, Texas, in 2015, they had no idea they were building the foundation for one of the most exciting boutique pet grooming franchises in the country. What began as a passion project has become a thriving national brand — one that continues to grow, evolve, and bring joy to pets and their owners a decade later.“The 10 years really flew by — it’s hard to believe it’s been that long,” Ashley said. “We are very excited to celebrate it, and we are hosting a storefront reveal of our lobby refresh at our original location. We’ve done it in a few other stores, but this felt like the perfect time to showcase the new look and feel. It’s bright, joyful, and fun — just like our customers and their pets.”The refresh is more than cosmetic; it reflects&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/info">petbar’s</a> brand evolution. Over the past decade, the company has grown from a single neighborhood boutique to a 32-unit system with locations open or in development across Texas, Florida, Arizona and Georgia.But for the O’Loughlins, that growth didn’t come overnight. “We actually didn’t start franchising until about four years ago,” Dan said. “For the first six years, we were focused on developing the brand and getting the systems and operations in place. The self-wash concept, the grooming services, and the membership program — we spent years piecing it all together. We didn’t even know at the start that we’d eventually franchise.”<h2>An Idea That Clicked</h2>Before launching petbar, Dan and Ashley had run a successful tanning business. When they signed a lease for what would become the first petbar, they were ready for a new challenge but unsure exactly where it would lead.“We were moving over from tanning into this space, and the store just took off,” Dan said. “The community loved it. Within the first six months, we even had an equity group looking at us — that’s when we realized there was something really special here.”From the start, petbar was designed to be different. Its open, boutique-style layout, cheerful décor and transparent grooming areas created an experience that both pets and owners loved. The O’Loughlins soon added&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/why-petbar-is-the-best-franchise-opportunity-in-the-pet-space-2730196#featured">self-wash stations, professional grooming, and a membership program</a> to keep customers coming back month after month.“People loved having options,” Ashley said. “They could wash their own dog or leave it to a professional. And because people are busier than ever, our membership model made it convenient and affordable. It just fit the way people live now.”<h2>The Rise of a Resilient Brand</h2>When the O’Loughlins decided to franchise in 2019, their goal was simple: share their model with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/petbar-franchise-arcadia-arizona-brant-michaels-dustin-carlson-why-i-bought-2729878">like-minded entrepreneurs</a> who loved dogs and community as much as they did.“The franchise side of it came about because we were trying to determine if we would grow corporate or move into the market more swiftly with more development,” Dan said. “We love helping other entrepreneurs pursue their own business.”Today, petbar’s franchise model stands out in the fast-growing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-pet-grooming-services-market-report">$2 billion U.S. pet grooming industry</a>. With low overhead, recurring membership revenue, and simplified operations, the brand has become an ideal opportunity for franchisees looking for a lifestyle business that’s both emotionally rewarding and financially strong.“The pet care space is an exciting space to be in right now as a franchisor and franchisee,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-koffler-a55b5833">Gregg Koffler</a>, Chief Development Officer. “Our differentiation — the ability to wash your own pet, our subscription model, and our focus on strictly bathing and grooming — really sets us apart. We’re not retail heavy, which keeps operations simple. The potential for growth is tremendous.”<h2>Community at the Core</h2>Even as it scales nationally, petbar has stayed grounded in its community-first culture. In 2025, the brand partnered with&nbsp;<a href="https://salvagedsoulspetrescue.org/">Salvaged Souls Pet Rescue</a> to raise more than $8,000 for animal welfare — one of many local partnerships that reinforce petbar’s “for the love of dogs” mission.“One of our big initiatives is to partner with our local communities,” Ashley said. “As we’ve grown the franchise, we’ve really focused on giving back to local shelters and rescue organizations that share our same kind of culture and values.”That commitment to connection extends to franchisees as well. “We’re looking for people with great energy,” Dan said. “They don’t have to have experience with dogs — we can teach them that. What matters most is that they love the community and want to build something meaningful. The profitability comes when you love what you’re doing and people can feel that.”<h2>A Vision for the Next 10 Years</h2>As petbar looks to the future, the brand plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar/petbar-franchise-opportunity-2729672">continue expanding responsibly</a> — both through new territories and smaller footprint models designed for urban markets.“We’d like to get into a lot of communities and a lot of different areas,” said Dan. “We’re looking for the right franchisees who want to grow with us. Right now, we have 32 locations, but we hope to reach 200. We’re going to keep marching to our own drum.”For the O’Loughlins, that drumbeat is powered by the same passion that started it all: a love of entrepreneurship, community, and, of course, dogs.“A lot of our customers have stayed with us for years, which is really special,” Ashley said. “We still have people who remember walking into that first Highland Park location. To see how much it’s grown — and how many other people are now part of the petbar family — it’s incredible. We’re proud and just getting started.”For more information on franchising with petbar, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/petbar">https://1851franchise.com/petbar</a>.

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From Manager to Multi-Unit Owner: Why This Couple Is Expanding With petbar in North Texas

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