Experienced Multi-Brand Franchisees Bring First K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel to Pennsylvania

Step through the glass doors of one of Horsham, Pennsylvania’s newest hotels, and you’ll see typical upscale décor: tile floors, a chandelier and a granite-topped check-in counter staffed by a well-dressed clerk. Visible from the lobby is the hotel’s temperature-controlled pool. And luxury suites are adorned with flat-screen TVs and sweeping outdoor window views.

On the surface, this hotel looks and feels like the Ritz-Carlton. But there’s only one difference—instead of housing traveling businessmen and vacationing families, here, you’ll find nothing but dogs roaming the plush hallways.

This is Pennsylvania’s first K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel, and it was opened by Steve and Rob Kallen—a father and son duo—in late 2015.

“Who says man’s best friend can’t live like man? People view their pets as family and they want to treat them as such,” Steve said. “We realized the pet industry is absolutely exploding, and while people may be paying less for themselves, they will always be willing to make sure their pets are getting the best treatment possible. We were so excited to bring an option like K-9 Resorts to Pennsylvania—it’s really a one-of-a-kind concept.”

This isn’t Steve and Rob’s first franchise rodeo (though it’s safe to say that this is their first time running a business with a pool for dogs). In fact, franchising runs deep throughout the entire Kallen family. For more than 38 years, Steve worked as a general contractor.

Interested in diversifying his portfolio, he teamed up with his son, Joe, to open a Rita’s Italian Ice. Steven then went on to open another franchise, Philly Pretzel Factory, with his middle son, Scott. With the help of Scott and Joe, Steve eventually opened eight Rita’s Italian Ice locations and two Philly Pretzel Factor locations across Pennsylvania.

At the same, time Joe opened a 1-800-Got-Junk and had nine trucks on the road every single day.

When Steve’s youngest son, Rob, left the Marine Corps, he decided that he and his wife, Janel, also wanted to run a business of their own. That’s when they began researching new opportunities. Rob quickly fell in love with the idea of K-9 Resorts after hearing heart-warming success stories from current franchisees.

“My wife and I have always been passionate about dogs. And we’ve always had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We just didn’t know what type of business we wanted to open. When we came across K-9 Resorts, we realized we had this unique opportunity to combine our knowledge of business with our passion—that’s a chance that people don’t always get,” Rob said.

The family’s extensive franchising knowledge has paid off. Today, they’re the owners of the first K-9 Resorts to offer an indoor swimming pool.

Besides offering Horsham residents with a chance to give their dogs the best care possible, Steve and Rob have plans to give back to their community in other ways, too. They will be sponsoring the local dog park and intend to purchase bullet proof vests for all dogs working in law enforcement.

As for their next steps with one of the industry’s fastest-growing and top-rated dog daycare facilities? The Kallens are just getting started.

“We would love to open another location after getting this first one off the ground. In our years of experience in franchising, we’ve been fortunate to see what we like and don’t like. K-9 Resorts is a brand that we see a bright future for, and we’re eager to help them grow throughout Pennsylvania,” Steve added.