We are thrilled to share that more Dogtopia locations will be popping up in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania thanks to a new franchise agreement Dogtopia has signed with experienced multi-unit, multi-brand operator Joe Cugine.

Cugine currently owns and operates nearly 100 restaurants within the franchise space, including 80 Wendy’s, 14 Taco Bells, and four Jersey Mike’s Subs. Building on this extensive experience and with support from his daughter Carly, a next-generation entrepreneur who is an investor in three of his Wendy’s locations, Cugine aims to diversify his portfolio by entering the rapidly growing pet industry with Dogtopia.

The duo currently operates one Dogtopia location and are in the process of acquiring a second, with plans to develop more locations in the tri-state area. Carly will oversee the daily operations while they lead the Dogtopia locations together.

“We researched the finest franchises in the industry, regardless of sector. Dogtopia continued to rise to the top. It wasn’t in our initial consideration set, but the more we investigated, we became convinced that they were the right franchise to be involved with,” said Joe Cugine. “I think Dogtopia is really hitting its stride as a franchisor, and I believe that the best days are ahead of us. We have been delighted with the resources and the support we’ve received to date.”

Find out more about this exciting partnership plan, including a statement from our Chief Growth Officer, Alex Samios, here.