--- title: "How Two New Hounds Town USA Locations Opened to Record Numbers Amid Pandemic" url: https://burnaze.com/article/a24c2b55-63ab-4acb-8d53-f08c84e50c9e source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/how-two-new-hounds-town-usa-locations-opened-to-record-numbers-amid-pandemic-2714338 category: "Daycare & boarding" industry: "Pets" segment: "Daycare & boarding" published: 2020-11-24T17:12:51.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:27:29.959Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/723f7eda2172fc73f8ecbf21b382762b2574.jpg --- # How Two New Hounds Town USA Locations Opened to Record Numbers Amid Pandemic **TL;DR:** Hounds Town USA has opened two new locations in Smyrna, Tennessee, and Sanford, Florida, which have seen record numbers despite the pandemic. The new locations have experienced double-digit revenue growth and high occupancy rates, with the Smyrna location on track to be one of the quickest to break even across the brand. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-11-24. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/how-two-new-hounds-town-usa-locations-opened-to-record-numbers-amid-pandemic-2714338).* ## Story **As the pandemic rages on, many Americans have decided to welcome canine companions into their homes, making doggie daycares like** **Hounds Town USA** **as essential in their daily routine as a morning cup of coffee. The increase in demand for the Long Island-based franchise has been exciting for new franchisees David and Zena Laubie and Paige and Shaun Allen, and they’ve started setting record numbers with double-digit revenue after their first month in business, and month-over-month growth in month two.** **Since he was young, Laubie wanted to own his own business. Before franchising with Hounds Town USA in Smyrna, Tennessee, he worked as a store manager at an after-market auto repair chain while running a side business with his wife taking care of dogs. In 2018 Laubie decided it was time to go into business for himself, and after his search for an auto franchise failed to produce a viable option, he stumbled upon an opportunity with Hounds Town USA, and everything seemed to click.** **“The whole time I was looking into starting my business, I was looking at auto chains because of my background. After I came across Hounds Town USA, it made so much sense — it just felt like the right fit, and here we are,” said Laubie.** **Laubie and his wife have been eager to open, but what they weren’t anticipating was opening during a pandemic. Now, after overcoming their initial fear, Hounds Town USA Smyrna is in the running for the quickest break even across the entire brand. In their first two months in business, the Laubies hosted nearly 30 dogs in one day for a monthly PAWty, and average about 12-15 dogs per day— numbers most locations don’t see regularly until further into their first year in business. Smyrna opened to occupancy and revenue numbers higher than all other stores except one, which had the advantage of being an owner’s second location with a transferable customer base. **Though it’s not what they expected, Laubie and his wife are thrilled that they've seen such success with their business so quickly, and as adoption rates increase and more people welcome new furry friends into their homes, Laubie says he’s happy to welcome them into his daycare.** **“The marketplace has certainly changed because of the pandemic, and adoption rates are through the roof. The need is there, and we’re seeing a lot of it,” Laubie explained. “We’re doing less boarding than we anticipated, but the daycare demand is where we thought, and even higher! Owners need an escape while they’re working from home, and so do the dogs.”** **Like Laubie, Shaun and Paige opened their first Hounds Town USA location only three months ago in Sanford, Florida and have already seen record numbers. From the first to the third month, the store has seen 123% in month-over-month growth, welcoming close to 20-25 dogs per day.** **As first-time business owners, the Allens said they weren’t sure what to expect and definitely did not plan to navigate opening during a pandemic. Through it all they’ve been grateful for the support from corporate every step of the way.** **“This is the first time Paige and I have operated a small business, so we’ve had some fears and concerns, but corporate has put them all to rest,” said Shaun. “Mike and Jackie [Bondanza] are never more than a call or a text away. They’ve done a great job coaching and encouraging us when we exceeded all of our plans surrounding the opening as well as our expectations for occupancy.”** **Jackie Bondanza, president of Hounds Town USA, says she’s been pleasantly surprised by the essential need for doggie daycare during the pandemic, and she’s impressed with the way these new franchisees have taken the reins.** **“It’s a wonderful thing to see so many people adopting dogs, and we’re so happy to be able to help give the dogs some extra play time while their owners are busy working from home. For us, this increase in demand has made it easier for new franchisees like David and the Allens to hit the ground running,” Bondanza said. “It’s a really good time for Hounds Town; occupancies are up, we’re on track to beat our 2020 sales goals and we're signing on new franchisees who will help us grow the brand in the new year.”** ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise growth (topic) - location expansion (topic) - Pets (sector) - pandemic impact (topic) - Hounds Town USA (company) - pet care industry (topic) - Jackie Bondanza (person) - Smyrna, Tennessee (location) - Sanford, Florida (location) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/how-two-new-hounds-town-usa-locations-opened-to-record-numbers-amid-pandemic-2714338). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/a24c2b55-63ab-4acb-8d53-f08c84e50c9e).