Jim Hannesschlager first experienced Dogtopia when his then girlfriend, now wife, started taking her dog to Dogtopia for daycare. As a successful franchise operator of an Orangetheory Fitness center, the Dogtopia brand had many similarities to the Orangetheory franchise. “You walk into a Dogtopia and it’s like walking into an Orangetheory,” Hannesschlager said. “It looks like an upscale gym. In many ways, the brand is doing to doggy daycare what Orangetheory did to boutique fitness.” Looking to expand his portfolio, he knew he had to join the Dogtopia franchise, the fastest-growing franchise in the $100 billion pet industry.

Despite the challenges that came with operating a business during the COVID-19 pandemic, he opened Dogtopia of Falls Church in Virginia in October 2020, four months after postponing his original grand opening in June 2020. Just a couple months after opening he has surpassed his projected business goals and is forecasting a 30% growth over the first year; fueled by all the dogs that were adopted during the pandemic. These dogs need a safe place to socialize as their pet parents return to work and life outside the home. He credits his franchise operating experience, the proven Dogtopia franchise model and its operating and marketing support for helping him with this success. Jim shares his tips for opening and operating a franchise especially during tumultuous times. Read more in the Business Insider artcle here.