Long-Time Owners Purchase a THIRD Hounds Town Dog Franchise in South Jersey!

We’re so excited to announce that long-time Franchise Owners Jennifer Felix and Maria Gillen have recently launched a third Hounds Town USA dog franchise location in South Jersey! The pair launched their first Hounds Town franchise location in 2008. After finding significant success with their Farmingdale and Hicksville, New York locations, the two have decided to branch into South New Jersey territory.

“My vision would be for all our stores to be at capacity, and to have full-service grooming in all three stores,” said Maria in a recent interview with Hounds Town USA about her hopes for the future of her store locations, “[We want to] maximize space and add playrooms and kennels for two of our stores that have the room for more.”

Dog Franchise Owners Make Hounds Town History!

Maria and Jen are the first Hounds Town dog Franchise Owners to own three Hounds Town USA territories in two different states. They were also the first-ever Hounds Town Franchise owners to help make the franchise what it is today. The pair plan to run their newest location as absentee owners. Their talented general managers will be responsible for everyday facility tasks while the pair focus on their previous two locations.

When asked why they wanted to open a third location, it was a natural choice for the two business owners. “Farmingdale has been very successful, and Hicksville is on its way,” said Maria, “This New Jersey location was a no-brainer. We are close enough where we can travel often. The fact that it was turn-key was a huge draw.”

“The fact that the store was already running, with absentee owners, was a big draw for us since we are in another state,” Jen agreed, “I truly love the franchise and being the longest Franchise Owner [in the Hounds Town USA system], I have seen the company grow tremendously and I definitely want to continue to help it and myself grow as a business owner.”

A Winning Plan for Success

Becoming the franchise’s first three-location multi-state owners is a big deal. Running a single business is no easy task. This is even the case with an intuitive, supportive franchise like Hounds Town. As a result, it’s vital that the pair have a solid management plan in place to ensure that the new location launches smoothly.

“We will trust our managers but be vigilant in keeping on top of things,” said Jen, “We will let them lead but also be there when they need us. We still plan to grow each company and the staff that we have into hopefully long-term employees.”

Maria went on to note that she and Jen plan to stay very close in contact with the staff at all three locations, especially the new Jersey location. Because they won’t physically be there, it’s vital that they are able to provide support when needed. Still, the pair are very confident in the abilities of their employees at the new location.

Maria and Jen’s Road to Hounds Town

Maria and Jen entered the doggie daycare franchise world for somewhat different reasons. Maria was a very satisfied customer who brought her dog to Hounds Town facilities five days a week. She lauded Hounds Town for the positive effect it had on her pup. Jen, on the other hand, jumped into the Hounds Town franchise back in 2008 and hasn’t been able to imagine another career since.

“I have loved what I have been doing and becoming an Owner of a Hounds Town fell into my lap and  I jumped on the chance to take it,” said Jen, “Now in 2021, I am the youngest Franchise Owner and first owner of 3 Hounds Town locations with my partner Maria.” Maria and Jen are both very excited about their future as top-performing Franchise Owners, as well as the dog franchise’s overall growth. “Our ultimate goal would be to get all of our three stores as the three top performers,” said Maria, “We are always striving to make improvements and to make sure our customers are happy.”

It’s a lofty goal that won’t be without its challenges, but we have full confidence in the pair to reach their franchise goals. Jen noted that she was particularly interested in seeing what the next year will hold, as they already have two stores that are less than five years old. There’s a lot of growing to do, Jen acknowledges, but the pair are constantly striving to be the best of the best in all of their categories.

“My goal is for my Farmingdale store to keep breaking records, and my Hicksville store to get up to what the Farmingdale store is making in revenue,” said Jen, “Our Farmingdale store has been running since 2015 and has grown tremendously in the last few years. We really strive to have Hicksville meet, or even beat the Farmingdale revenue since it is a bigger store.”

Maria and Jen have learned to maximize the space that they already have and hope that their Hicksville and Jersey locations can also be maximized in the next few years in terms of revenue. “We are really excited about the upcoming transformation of our newer stores,” said Jen.

The team at Hounds Town is definitely excited, too. We can’t wait to see what Maria and Jen can do with their three Hounds Town dog franchise locations. They truly are inspirations in the pet care industry!

Hounds Town USA is a doggie daycare and grooming franchise that spans dozens of locations across the United States. With a unique focus on letting dogs be dogs, Hounds Town has cemented itself as a leader in the doggie daycare industry. If you are considering becoming a business owner in the pet industry, get in touch with the Hounds Town team today! We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about becoming part of the Hounds Town family.