Why Brant Michaels and Dustin Carlson Opened a petbar Franchise in Arcadia, Arizona

For Brant Michaels and Dustin Carlson, the journey to franchising with petbar, the luxury pet grooming and self-wash boutique, began with a shared love for dogs and a desire to build something meaningful beyond their day jobs. The two met more than a decade ago in Las Vegas — Michaels performing in the pre-Broadway run of “Aladdin” and Carlson working in radio — and eventually settled in Phoenix. For years, they talked about launching a business together. But nothing quite clicked until Carlson stumbled across a listing for petbar.

“I spent literally two or three years looking through business-for-sale listings that I got delivered to my email every morning,” Carlson said. “The original thought was to purchase an already functional business in good shape and just take it over and grow it from there. Maybe purchase multiple businesses. We didn’t really have anything specific in mind.”

What they did know was what they didn’t want.

“We didn’t want to do a restaurant. We didn’t want to do a bar,” Carlson said. “We were kind of poking around at convenience stores, smoke shops, laundromats — something boring and easy to run that we could own a couple of and generate the income we were looking for.”

Discovering petbar

That changed the day Carlson clicked on a listing for a petbar franchise.

“It looked like it was an already established business, but it turned out to be a new franchise opportunity. I’d never heard of it,” Carlson said. “There were none out here in Phoenix, but it was the first thing that made me want to click the button for more information, which started the snowball.”

The concept struck a chord. When Carlson and Michaels had first adopted their dog, Merlin, they struggled to find a self-wash option that didn’t feel uncomfortable or out of place.

“Doing it in our kitchen sink was an absolute nightmare, and he was a cranky dog,” Carlson said. “There weren’t many self-wash options because we didn’t want to leave him in someone else’s hands.”

What stood out about petbar, he said, was how clean and focused the concept was.

“I loved the streamlined business model,” Carlson said. “There wasn’t a lot of retail requiring you to carry a million dollars’ worth of inventory. It was strictly grooming and washing. And I loved the self-wash concept.”

The pair traveled to Dallas for Discovery Day, where they met petbar co-founders Dan and Ashley O’Loughlin.

“As soon as I walked into one of their locations, I was sold,” Carlson said. “Seeing it in action — especially at the capacity they operate in Dallas — was really impressive.”

But it wasn’t just the business model that won them over. For Michaels, it was the culture — and Dan himself.

“One of the clients came in, and their dog had an accident in the lobby,” Michaels said. “Dan didn’t miss a beat. He was still talking to me, cleaning it up without asking anyone else to do it. That resonated with me — he cared. It wasn’t beneath him.”

That moment stuck with him.

“As simple as it is, it’s Big Daddy Dan — like CEO — and he could have easily asked one of the front desk team members or somebody to get it,” Michaels said. “That went so far with me feeling that we were making the right decision.”

Launch and growth

Since launching their Arcadia, Arizona location, the work has been anything but easy.

“It’s a ton of work,” Michaels said. “Running the business itself, getting it off the ground, all the behind-the-scenes — there’s a lot involved. And I think one of the things that we weren’t really prepared for was how challenging it would be to build the right team.”

Still, the payoff has been worth it.

“Our team is just so strong and so solid. We’re so proud of them. They’re such good people,” Michaels said. “Anytime we’re in the store, we always leave feeling so good about everything because it’s happening.”

From a business standpoint, Carlson said the pair appreciated the recession-resilient nature of the pet care industry, especially after seeing how petbar performed during the pandemic.

“Dan and Ashley opened their second corporate store right at the beginning of the COVID shutdowns,” Carlson said. “That store was less than three miles from the first and still outperformed it within the first year. That kind of recession resistance was a big deal for us.”

They also believed in the value of what they were offering to customers.

“Everyone loves dogs. Everyone has dogs. Everyone wants to keep them clean,” Carlson said. “We actually believe in what we’re selling. Whether it’s a full groom, a self-wash or a membership for monthly services, it doesn’t feel like we’re nickel-and-diming anyone. That matters.”

When it came time to choose a location, they originally had their sights set on Scottsdale. But after a promising deal fell through, they found themselves looking at a shopping center in Arcadia — and Carlson had a hunch.

“We drove past this shopping center in Arcadia and thought, ‘That’s a spot right there,’” Carlson said. “It was close to our house. Our real estate guy said they had a space available, but it was under negotiation. That deal fell through, and we got it.”

That stroke of luck, along with favorable lease terms, helped them launch without burning out before the doors opened.

The location has proved to be a strong fit.

“There’s a park literally right behind our shopping complex that has a ton of dogs,” Michaels said. “Even just going in the park, I had so many cards and they were gone in about 40 minutes. And the next day, this one woman came in with her two dogs because I gave her the self-wash cards, and that day she bought memberships.”

Future plans

Looking ahead, their goals are focused on growing responsibly.

“Our immediate goals are to get our membership roster up to 300 and our monthly groom numbers to 400,” Carlson said. “That would put this store in solid shape with room for continued growth.”

Their long-term plan includes launching their second and third locations under the developer agreement. They’d prefer to stay close to their existing store to allow for shared staffing and consistent oversight, but finding the right space has been a challenge.

“That’s been the common mantra since we’ve started this,” Michaels said. “You need to have the right team members, you need to have the right location, you need to have the right attitude.”

Even as they scale, that culture of care and connection remains at the heart of their business.

“We genuinely feel cared about,” Michaels said. “It doesn’t feel like a PetSmart or a Starbucks or a Walmart where it’s so corporate that you don’t have any autonomy or any freedom.”

And even now, several years into their petbar journey, that belief in the brand and its leadership hasn’t wavered.

“At this point in the game and how involved [Dan and Ashley] are in everything, it really has been great for us,” Michaels said. “It’s so cool to be a part of something that you legitimately can feel good about.”