Petbar Franchise: A Boutique Dog Grooming Business Built for Growth and Culture

For anyone who's ever dreamed of building a business that makes people — and their pets — genuinely happy, petbar hits a sweet spot. Dan and Ashley O’Loughlin didn’t set out to create just another grooming concept. They built a brand that feels like a destination, a place where dogs run through the doors excited to see their friends and franchisees run their businesses with the full support of a family-first system. It’s not just about baths and blowouts — it’s about culture, consistency and creating something franchisees can be proud to scale.

“Think of our locations as ‘Disney World for dogs,’” Dan said. “That’s what we really want to be. That’s what excites us, and that’s what we try to emulate.”

As the brand expands, the O’Loughlins aren’t interested in signing anyone who just wants to play business owner — they’re looking for partners who understand the long-term commitment. That’s why getting to know each candidate is so important. “We’ve learned over the years what we’re looking for,” Ashley said. “It’s like a marriage — you really have to know what you’re getting into and take time to get to know people.”

The O’Loughlins recently joined 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills for an episode of “The Franchisor Hot Seat.” A transcript of their interview has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Franchising journey

Nick Powills: All right, Dan and Ashley, I'm very excited for our conversation today. I'm staying on brand — we're focused. So, the first question is the only one I script, then we’ll go off script. How did you guys accidentally fall into franchising? What's your franchise backstory?

Dan O'Loughlin: Well, it basically came out of business. We were in the gym and tanning business. We got out of that, and were looking for our next thing — was it going to be fast food or something like that?

We kind of stumbled in. We were looking for a groomer for our dog, Bella — she's passed since — but we found a self-wash facility here in Dallas. I felt the energy I really loved, kind of like boutique fitness or that Starbucks coffee shop vibe. At that point, I told Ashley, “This is worth exploring; let's look into it.” I didn’t know what facet — kennel, day care, vet, grooming — but we landed on grooming.

Nick: So you decided on the business model. Did you have any experience in franchising? Were the tanning salons franchised?

Dan: No, we never had any franchise experience. We weren’t even sure about franchising. We wanted to explore it, but we were nervous. You hear the stories — what is it all about? It was intriguing. I've done business, we’ve done a ton of business, but what does the franchise side look like? How can we scale and build something quickly? That’s how it all came to be.

We actually, in a wild way, flipped a coin and said, “Either we franchise or we go corporate stores.” It was really on the table. We decided to put some serious coin into franchising and see if it had traction — and that’s when it took off. We sold a few territories and license agreements, and that’s when we knew franchising was the path.

Nick: Take me through the process of franchising the business, specifically around expectations. When you picked a consultant to help you franchise, what were you hoping for, and how has that played out?

Dan: Our expectations were pretty simple — we didn’t have a lot. We weren’t sure if it would sell. It was a subscription business for dogs, very nuanced. Would it even sell? Did it have scalability? We talked to a couple of brokers and consultants, got on board, and that’s when the sales started happening. We went with it from there.

Nick: So has it met your expectations? And give me a lay of the land — how many current locations, and what’s the state of the business?

Dan: We have 32 units open — 28 are franchised, and four are corporate, with some multi-unit operators.

Nick: So has that hit your expectations?

Dan: We have high expectations. We want to grow this thing. We're on a fire from afar, for sure. We want to see this really gain traction. Every sale and every store opening is exciting. I still get nervous — is it going to work in that market, that community?

So yeah, we’ve definitely met some expectations.

Nick: This may sound like a crazy comparison, but in tanning — before all the health concerns — the demand was huge, and supply couldn’t keep up. You could open down the street and still have business. I see the same thing in pet grooming — high demand, limited supply. Do you see that similarity?

Dan: Absolutely. We’ve seen new players enter the market, trying to scale quickly. Some of them have legs.

In tanning, I saw the shift from a tanning bed in the back of a hair salon to full-scale salons with 40–50 beds in 5,000–6,000 square feet. That kind of momentum feels the same in pet grooming. Every time we turn around, someone else is talking about opening. The recipe’s there.

Protecting culture

Nick: And I’m sure the other side of that is protecting your culture — making sure you get the right people. You want to grow fast, but also grow smart. How do you qualify the right candidates?

Dan: Absolutely. Some of our first franchisees are wonderful people. They made a real commitment to being in a franchise system. It’s always a changing atmosphere. We’re constantly trying to find the right person for the right community and storefront — and that’s not easy.

Nick: You didn’t need much differentiation back in tanning. I’m sure that’s changed in this space. How do you set petbar apart?

Ashley O'Loughlin: We feel like a lot of our competitors focus on health and wellness — that’s their point of view. We’re trying to make ours happy and fun and clean. We want a great experience not just for the pet parents, but also for the pets.

We want them to feel like we know their name, we know their dog’s name — just a super special experience in the store.

Nick: So what you’re describing is culture. That totally connects with me. Right now, whether it’s the vet or the groomer, we’re just a number. Get in line, pay a lot, and leave. You’re trying to make it more than a transaction.

Ashley: Yeah. Much more personalized. We want everybody to feel special.

Dan: Think about the Disney World for dogs. That’s what we really want to be. That’s what excites us, and that’s what we try to emulate.

Nick: Do your franchisees come in as fans of the brand? Have any gone from customer to franchisee? Or are they just fans of the industry?

Dan: I would say both. Hopefully, they’re all dog lovers. That’s something we ask in the process. But yes, it coincides.

Ashley: We’ve definitely had franchisees who were customers first. We’ve also had people looking for something in the children or pet market and found us that way.

Nick: Ashley, you mentioned “health and wellness.” Do you think those are just buzzwords? Because to the customer, the experience often doesn’t feel different. Is the real value the relationship?

Dan: Exactly. We’re not handing out report cards at the end. We want the dog to be happy and excited.

I picture a convertible pulling up and dogs jumping out to run in. Honestly, they try to come back in! We have a “party room” in the back, and they race to get there and see their friends. That’s what we’re aiming for.

We're all about the dog. Of course, we care about the human too, but the dog is our true customer.

Nick: What keeps you up at night?

Dan: Worrying about business. That’s been 35 years. It’s always “what if?” What if something happens? We’re always trying to prepare.

It’s not the best place to be, but it’s part of business. If you’re not nervous, I think something’s wrong. If you can sleep well owning a business — more power to you. I just can’t imagine that being true.

Nick: It’s tough. In business, especially franchising, there’s no clear definition of “winning.” Even people who exit a business talk about feeling lost. You think you’ll feel accomplished, but then it’s like — now what?

It becomes something that just occupies your time. And because there's no scorecard, a dip in sales one month sends people into panic mode. It’s a false sense of anxiety, but it’s so real.

Dan: Absolutely. We know a couple who exited a fast-growing brand. The husband had to seek counseling afterward because he was so used to being “on fire” all the time. Suddenly, he had all this time and didn’t know what to do with it. It was eye-opening.

Nick: I often think about franchise buyers. A lot of them don’t understand franchising, which creates chaos. But also, some candidates play hard to get — and that’s the opposite of what you should do.

Dan, when you said “always on fire” — that’s the kind of person I want on a team. Someone who’s responsive and kind. That’s a great franchisee.

Franchisee relationships

Ashley: Yeah, exactly. We’ve learned over the years what we’re looking for. It’s like a marriage — you really have to know what you’re getting into and take time to get to know people.

Nick: Let’s talk investment. What’s the range, and what are you putting in Item 19?

Ashley: Item 7 ranges from $256,700 to $585,950. The high end is a 2,000-square-foot space. The lower end is around 1,000 square feet — we’re exploring smaller footprints.

In Item 19, we include sales rankings. We’re ranking stores by age and giving averages — membership metrics and grooming metrics.

Nick: What do you budget for grand opening marketing?

Ashley: Between $15,000 and $20,000.

Nick: That’s solid. I tell clients 10% of total investment. It’s better to over-budget and not need it than under-budget and be forced to spend later. You need to set the right expectations.

Dan: Absolutely. Marketing is huge. Especially in new markets — people don’t know who we are. We’re strong in Dallas and Houston, but in other states, we’re still building awareness.

Sometimes people call asking what time the bands start. We’ve gotten restaurant guides. It’s funny — people don’t know what petbar is. That’s the challenge when entering new communities.

Nick: Dan, now you’re giving out new business ideas — bands and dogs. So, what’s the vision? What do you want to accomplish this year or next?

Dan: We want to grow, of course. We’re bringing more family into the business — our son, our daughter, our youngest daughter. It’s a family affair, and we love that.

We want to grow as far and as fast as possible, but responsibly. Growth can be bad too. We’ve seen franchises in Dallas open too fast — they’re on every corner, and six months later, they’re gone.

That’s not what we want. We want to build something special for our family and for everyone involved.

Nick: I love that your family is involved. That speaks to your culture. Every franchise buyer I’ve spoken to buys based on two things — business opportunity and culture.

And when you build your family around this, it shows you’re not in it for the short term — you’re playing to win. You have to win. It’s your livelihood. That culture sets the tone.

And what you just said — “this literally is family” — that belongs on your franchise website, front and center.

I think what you’re doing is great. I’m excited to see how this plays out. There’s so much demand in this category, and it’s nice to see someone doing something different.

I appreciate you sharing your story today.