Franchisee Turns Passion for Nature into Multi-Unit Ownership with the Help of Wild Birds Unlimited

As a freelance graphic designer, Monica Brubaker spent a lot of time working inside her home. But she always had a passion for nature and being outdoors. For years, she fed that passion with the help of Wild Birds Unlimited. She was a frequent customer at her local store, and relied on the brand’s premium bird seed to fuel her backyard bird feeding efforts. So when the opportunity to work for Wild Birds Unlimited presented itself, she knew she couldn’t say no.

Right off the bat, Brubaker knew that Wild Birds Unlimited was the perfect fit for her. Everyone at the store—from the customers to the expertly trained employees—all shared the same commitment to bird feeding. The friendly atmosphere was infectious, and she liked everything that she saw. That’s why two years after she started working for Wild Birds Unlimited, Brubaker decided to open a franchise of her own.

“After seeing how receptive and supportive the community was to the entire Wild Birds Unlimited concept, I knew that I could bring that same level of excitement to a new group of customers,” said Brubaker.

She was right—Brubaker’s first location in Springboro, Ohio is already a hit among consumers. Her loyal customer base and team of dedicated employees have made the store incredibly self-sufficient, which is why she decided to pursue multi-unit ownership. Now, her second Wild Birds Unlimited location in West Chester is officially open for business.

“I got to the point where my Springboro store was paid off, and I liked the idea of taking on the challenge that multi-unit expansion offers,” said Brubaker. “But as it turns out, the expansion process was incredibly simple. Working with the corporate team at Wild Birds Unlimited really makes growing a business easy.”

Brubaker isn’t the first franchisee to find success as a multi-unit owner in Ohio. The brand has a strong presence across the state, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Wild Birds Unlimited staff. The brand’s chief development officer, Paul Pickett, says its impressive growth in Ohio is a direct result of local business owners’ hard work and commitment to the Wild Birds Unlimited mission.

“We’ve been established in Ohio for many years, and it’s an area in which our multi-unit owners really thrive,” said Pickett. “Monica has done such a wonderful job with her first store by taking her customer service efforts to the next level. That’s why we’re excited she took the initiative to bring that experience and passion to another community and set of customers.”

As her franchises in Springboro and West Chester continue to drum up more business, Brubaker plans on leveraging the strong reputation that Wild Birds Unlimited brings to the table in order to further her expansion efforts. She says customers will always come back to Wild Birds Unlimited because they know what they’re going to get—excellent customer service and the best bird feeding products at a great value.

“I’m so grateful for the way Wild Birds Unlimited is set up. Their franchise model gives me the flexibility I need to run my stores, but at the same time, I know I still have them to fall back on. The team is always there for me, which really makes it easy to succeed,” Brubaker said.