Chem-Dry Multi-Unit Franchisee Buys Pet Wants Franchise

Randall and Paula Malone, a husband-and-wife team with a shared entrepreneurial spirit, have signed on to introduce the innovative pet food franchise Pet Wants to Cleveland, Tennessee. 

In their adult lives, the Malones have always worked together. For 15 years, they ran nine Chem-Dry franchises before deciding to fulfill Paula's dream to help children who had suffered hardships, much like she had as a young girl. The couple operated four children's homes in North Georgia for 18 years, until the COVID-19 pandemic complicated their operations, leading to their closure.

The pandemic also marked the beginning of their foray into the pet food industry. When their dog developed dermatitis, they were introduced to Pet Wants and were blown away by the results. Around the same time, Randall needed to start another day job at the post office and found himself delivering pet food day in and day out. With a desire to get back to their entrepreneurial roots, the Malones took it as a sign to start exploring pet franchises. 

The couple’s decision to choose Pet Wants was heavily influenced by their desire to help people, a mission they have always pursued. In addition to this, they were surprised to learn about the lack of freshness in traditional pet food. Instead, they favored the slow-cooked, nutritionally rich Pet Wants products, which they found to be price-comparable with regular pet food.

Their aspiration with Pet Wants is to expand across Cleveland and beyond while helping pet owners provide optimal nutrition for their pets. Working together as a family — with their two oldest children Kodi Malone and Kylee Smith joining the business — is a key part of their venture, underlining their commitment to family values and team spirit.

Their story, from high school sweethearts to successful franchisees, reflects a relentless entrepreneurial spirit, passion for community service and a deep love for pets. The Malones' journey into the world of Pet Wants promises a fresh take on pet nutrition for the residents of Cleveland, Tennessee.

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

Randall: We’ve always worked together in our adult lives. We owned another franchise business, Chem-Dry, for 15 years with nine locations. We decided to sell that and follow my wife’s dream to open children's homes. Her mother was murdered when she was 7, and she has always dreamed of helping the community and other kids who had been through similarly hard times. 

When we sold our franchises, we opened four homes for children in North Georgia and ran those for 18 years. Our capacity was 27 children. Then COVID-19 pandemic came, and we were forced to close those down as we couldn’t find employees. We also had a thrift store that was part of the foundation, and we’ve continued to operate it. I recently got a normal day job working for the post office. I found myself always delivering pet food, so I thought, “Hey, I could do this myself. We should check out some sort of pet franchise.”

We have two dogs. We first came across Pet Wants when one of our dogs started developing sores all over his stomach, which the vet said was dermatitis. We started researching and ordered some Pet Wants food. After a couple of weeks, his sores completely cleared up. We thought, “Wow, there are definitely a lot of dog owners who would also be interested.” We also had a Papillion named Paisley that was 10 years old and died of cancer a few months before coming across Pet Wants. It weighed on our hearts and minds, how or what we could have done to keep her healthier.

Paula: After a year of our dogs eating Pet Wants food, we see the difference. We are always looking to do something together. We’ve been looking for something new all year, so when this all happened, it really felt like the right fit. 

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?

Randall: We always wanted something more out of life. Always searching for something. The gentleman I had worked for in the past owned the franchise we ended up buying. We felt similar to the other franchisees who wanted more out of life, better opportunities. 

Paula: We’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. It is really hard for us to work that day job. We want to build something, not just work for someone. 

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

Randall: It is really just about helping people. That is what we’ve always done, and we wanted to keep doing that. We could help people and their animals. You are helping people when you are helping people’s pets. It really means something to people.

Paula: Also, we learned that the food you purchase at Petco can sit on the shelf for years, which means all the nutrients have diminished before it gets in the dog’s bowl. Pet Wants is slow cooked and is not mass produced. It's also comparable in price. 

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

Randall: We hope to expand in the area. Right now, we have the Cleveland territory and the outskirts of Chattanooga. 

Paula: Being able to work together as a family is really key for us as well. Our two oldest kids Kodi Malone and Kylee Smith are also going to be working with us. 

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

Paula: We dated in high school and were married pretty young. Before our children, we were musicians. We lived in LA and went to MIT. We saw Michael Jackson sign his name to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We’ve really done it all.

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

Randall: Dive into the information, and make sure it is right for you. We didn’t decide this just off the cuff. It has been a year of research. We declined at first, but we just kept researching. Make sure it is the right fit for you, and make sure that you have that passion. 

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Pet Wants franchise is from $131,350 to $202,500. This includes a total of between $57,500 and $62,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate. To learn more about Pet Wants franchise opportunities, visit: https://1851franchise.com/petwants

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 enhanced 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 and has created the ultimate convenience with free, personal delivery through their 90+ 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.