For entrepreneurs looking at the booming pet franchise space, one of the biggest questions comes early: Do I need a storefront on day one? With site selection, buildout planning, and hiring all part of the process, many prospective owners want to understand the path to retail and how to approach it strategically.
Pet Wants takes a different approach. Franchisees start mobile, selling fresh, small-batch pet food through delivery, online, and at local markets as well as community events. After 12 months of building their customer base and sales, they will open a brick-and-mortar location. For many franchisees, that flexibility is what makes the opportunity not just appealing, but doable.
Travis Hyde, a Pet Wants franchisee based in Idaho, says beginning with the mobile model allowed him to establish his foundation before expanding into retail.
“Opening with the mobile model first was critical for me,” Hyde said. “This allowed me to focus on establishing a clientele and a business. And I was able to work without hiring employees before it got too busy.”
Instead of waiting months for a lease to be signed and a store to be built, Pet Wants franchisees can begin generating revenue almost immediately. Rather than beginning immediately with a physical location, franchisees are able to launch operations through events, delivery routes and community engagement.
“It let me get my feet underneath me and get a handle on the business,” he said. “You can go through all the training in the world, but you really have to get out there and do it. You have to get out of your comfort zone.”
Operating solo in the early days allowed Hyde to build confidence, understand customer behavior, and refine his routine before scaling.
“There is a lot to owning a small business that I didn’t know,” he said. “If I had started out as a brick-and-mortar, it would have been much more frustrating.”
The mobile model also puts franchisees directly in front of their customers. Farmers markets, pop-ups, and local events aren’t just sales opportunities; they’re relationship-builders.
“The most important key to this business is going to events,” Hyde said. “I do the events myself so I can be the face of the business. It’s important to have those relationships with the customers.”
In Hyde’s market, one low-cost weekly event became a cornerstone of his growth. “I have one market that costs $25 to go to, and it is my top sales generator,” he said. “Everyone knows you on a first-name basis.”
The Pet Wants model includes opening a storefront as the next phase of growth. By the time franchisees make that transition, they have typically built a customer base, operational familiarity and local brand presence.
Managing deliveries, events, and customer service on his own eventually became unsustainable. At the same time, revenue hadn’t quite reached the point where hiring help made sense.
“You don’t see the income increase enough to cover hiring somebody else,” Hyde said. “But once you open a storefront, it justifies hiring those employees.”
And like many Pet Wants owners experience, opening a brick-and-mortar location didn’t replace Hyde’s mobile business — it amplified it.
“With the delivery side, I was able to tell all my customers I have a store now,” he said. “They started telling friends. That helped me grow a lot. And we still keep an events schedule to drive foot traffic.”
Beyond sales, Hyde says the storefront added credibility and structure to his operation. “Once I did the brick-and-mortar, it really solidified the business and made it look even more professional,” he said. “We have a digital presence immediately with our digital storefront and app. And our mobile presence. But having a fixed presence definitely takes things up a notch.”
When he began expanding his business, Hyde leaned on Pet Wants’ support system and fellow franchisees for guidance.
“The Pet Wants team was great helping me open the storefront,” he said. “I leaned on a neighboring franchisee for best practices. We had everything we needed: fixtures, real estate guidance, all of it.”
For Hyde, that flexibility made all the difference. “It really helped me transition into a brick-and-mortar because I already had a client base,” he said. “That foundation changes everything.”
For more information on franchising with Pet Wants visit: https://1851franchise.com/petwants/info.
Pet Wants
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Starting with a mobile setup before opening a physical store helps Pet Wants franchisees build a customer base and grow their business.
For entrepreneurs looking at the booming pet franchise space, one of the biggest questions comes early: Do I need a storefront on day one? With site selection, buildout planning, and hiring all part of the process, many prospective owners want to understand the path to retail and how to approach it strategically.
Pet Wants takes a different approach. Franchisees start mobile, selling fresh, small-batch pet food through delivery, online, and at local markets as well as community events. After 12 months of building their customer base and sales, they will open a brick-and-mortar location. For many franchisees, that flexibility is what makes the opportunity not just appealing, but doable.
Travis Hyde, a Pet Wants franchisee based in Idaho, says beginning with the mobile model allowed him to establish his foundation before expanding into retail.
“Opening with the mobile model first was critical for me,” Hyde said. “This allowed me to focus on establishing a clientele and a business. And I was able to work without hiring employees before it got too busy.”
Instead of waiting months for a lease to be signed and a store to be built, Pet Wants franchisees can begin generating revenue almost immediately. Rather than beginning immediately with a physical location, franchisees are able to launch operations through events, delivery routes and community engagement.
“It let me get my feet underneath me and get a handle on the business,” he said. “You can go through all the training in the world, but you really have to get out there and do it. You have to get out of your comfort zone.”
Operating solo in the early days allowed Hyde to build confidence, understand customer behavior, and refine his routine before scaling.
“There is a lot to owning a small business that I didn’t know,” he said. “If I had started out as a brick-and-mortar, it would have been much more frustrating.”
The mobile model also puts franchisees directly in front of their customers. Farmers markets, pop-ups, and local events aren’t just sales opportunities; they’re relationship-builders.
“The most important key to this business is going to events,” Hyde said. “I do the events myself so I can be the face of the business. It’s important to have those relationships with the customers.”
In Hyde’s market, one low-cost weekly event became a cornerstone of his growth. “I have one market that costs $25 to go to, and it is my top sales generator,” he said. “Everyone knows you on a first-name basis.”
The Pet Wants model includes opening a storefront as the next phase of growth. By the time franchisees make that transition, they have typically built a customer base, operational familiarity and local brand presence.
Managing deliveries, events, and customer service on his own eventually became unsustainable. At the same time, revenue hadn’t quite reached the point where hiring help made sense.
“You don’t see the income increase enough to cover hiring somebody else,” Hyde said. “But once you open a storefront, it justifies hiring those employees.”
And like many Pet Wants owners experience, opening a brick-and-mortar location didn’t replace Hyde’s mobile business — it amplified it.
“With the delivery side, I was able to tell all my customers I have a store now,” he said. “They started telling friends. That helped me grow a lot. And we still keep an events schedule to drive foot traffic.”
Beyond sales, Hyde says the storefront added credibility and structure to his operation. “Once I did the brick-and-mortar, it really solidified the business and made it look even more professional,” he said. “We have a digital presence immediately with our digital storefront and app. And our mobile presence. But having a fixed presence definitely takes things up a notch.”
When he began expanding his business, Hyde leaned on Pet Wants’ support system and fellow franchisees for guidance.
“The Pet Wants team was great helping me open the storefront,” he said. “I leaned on a neighboring franchisee for best practices. We had everything we needed: fixtures, real estate guidance, all of it.”
For Hyde, that flexibility made all the difference. “It really helped me transition into a brick-and-mortar because I already had a client base,” he said. “That foundation changes everything.”
For more information on franchising with Pet Wants visit: https://1851franchise.com/petwants/info.
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