---
title: "The Great Franchisee: Steve and Nicky Darwin, Hounds Town USA, Michigan"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/616b890f-74fa-4bbf-ba03-d06de1bb12af
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/the-great-franchisee-steve-and-nicky-darwin-hounds-town-usa-michigan-2714622
category: "Daycare & boarding"
industry: "Pets"
segment: "Daycare & boarding"
published: 2021-01-04T19:14:09.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:27:02.005Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/a57ef452d772a00f8b6abdb4b7c142b55016.jpg
---

# The Great Franchisee: Steve and Nicky Darwin, Hounds Town USA, Michigan

**TL;DR:** Steve and Nicky Darwin, a husband-and-wife duo, opened a Hounds Town USA doggie-daycare franchise in Michigan after leaving their careers in finance and nursing. They signed on to open three units with Hounds Town USA, with locations in Ann Arbor and Detroit's western suburbs.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-01-04. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/the-great-franchisee-steve-and-nicky-darwin-hounds-town-usa-michigan-2714622).*

## Story

Steve and Nicky Darwin have always loved dogs, but they’d never considered making a career out of their affection for pets until recently. Last year, the husband-and-wife duo decided to leave their careers in finance and nursing, respectively, and open up a business for themselves.

At first, the Darwins planned to franchise with a restaurant brand, but when COVID-19 rocked the foodservice segment, they decided to look for a business in a less volatile industry.

Steve said he discovered Hounds Town USA, the 10-plus-unit emerging doggie-daycare franchise out of Long Island, while scrolling through Facebook. That post inspired The Darwins to look into the pet care space. They quickly decided Hounds Town had the best model for them, and “the rest is history.”

The Darwins signed on to open three units with Hounds Town USA, one of which will open in Ann Arbor, and the other two will be located in Detroit’s western suburbs.

Steve Darwin: My background is in corporate finance, and my wife Nicky’s background is in nursing.

Steve: We were primarily focused on the restaurant industry and were really excited about opportunities there, until COVID-19 hit.

Steve: The marketing capabilities that come with a franchisor were a big draw for me. We did think about opening a kennel for a little while, but Hounds Town’s low cost was attractive. The fact that there was a proven system and a fast-track way to get things moving was also appealing.

Steve: We researched several brands in the pet industry, but Hounds Town proved to be the best model. We love how fun the brand is and how the core values aligned with our own. Here, it’s all about the dogs, and we really liked that.

Steve: We’re definitely excited about future growth opportunities beyond our three locations.

Steve: One of the greatest things about Hounds Town is that it does not discriminate against breeds. The relationships and partnerships with different municipal and private rescue and shelter groups will also be profound. We’re really excited to be an active part of the community and will be employing a handful of locals as well.

Steve: We’re still really new, but I’d say to surround yourself with like-minded people to help you achieve your goals. It’s a lot of work and the right people can guide you in the right direction and help make sense of the business’ plans, financials and projections.

Nicky: I also enjoy walking our dogs and spending time with the family, as well as spending time gardening in the yard, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Pets (sector)
- multi-unit development (topic)
- franchisee story (topic)
- michigan (location)
- Hounds Town USA (company)
- Detroit (location)
- Ann Arbor (location)
- pet care franchise (topic)
- industry switch (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/the-great-franchisee-steve-and-nicky-darwin-hounds-town-usa-michigan-2714622). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/616b890f-74fa-4bbf-ba03-d06de1bb12af).