Welcome Edward Burke to the Hounds Town Family!
Edward Burke is the newest member of Hounds Town USA and has set up his shop in Brooklyn, New York! Edward, like many Hounds Town USA entrepreneurs, started out in a very different industry from the pet trade.
“I was born in Buffalo, NY and currently live in Brooklyn Heights with my wife and two daughters,” said Edward in an interview with Hounds Town, “I spent 38 years in the asset management industry following everything from small cap growth companies to global and emerging market stocks.”
Even though Edward had some pretty serious business experience, he had never worked in the pet care industry before– and certainly not as a doggie daycare Franchise Owner. Edward noted that he began passively investing in franchise businesses over ten years ago through Goldfish Swim School. Seeing the success of those franchises and the lifestyles and flexibility it afforded, the general partners was very appealing to him. Edward went on to say that he had also become disillusioned with the company he was working for as management passed from the founders to a corporate acquiror.
Edward heard about Hounds Town early on in his research on franchises in the pet care space.
“While I had begun to explore the petcare space at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference (MUFC) conference in 2021, it was Greg Jones at Joshco Partners who really put Hounds Town on my radar,” said Edward, “While I wish that I had discovered Hounds Town earlier, I like the fact that it is still an emerging brand, albeit one with a long history and great growth potential.”
Edward went on to say that in addition to Hounds Town’s history and growth potential, he found the franchise’s business model particularly lucrative.
“I like the fact that it is a fairly straightforward business model, but with Hounds Town’s expertise and hard work paired with good execution by the franchise owner, strong returns and a good customer experience are well within reach. I think that Hounds Town represents a great combination of quality and value. They have figured out a way to build bright, welcoming facilities at a substantial discount to some of the leading competitors without sacrificing the customer or pet experience.”
Edward also had nothing but positive things to say about his Hounds Town Approval Day. An Approval Day, formally known as a “Discovery Day”, is an event in which potential Franchise Owners can visit an actual Hounds Town facility, network with other potential Franchise Owners, see what happens on a day-to-day basis in the Hounds Town facilities, and connect with the Founders and executive team.
“They [the executive team] don’t take themselves too seriously, but it’s clear that they know what they’re doing,” said Edward, “I was a big fan of the Hounds Town Shuffle! Seriously though, it was great to meet Mike and Jackie in person and to see other members of the team as well as current Franchise Owners. I also liked hearing the questions from other attendees.”
Edward’s “a-ha!” moment in which he realized Hounds Town was the right franchise for him came down to overselling the bells and whistles. While other franchises in the doggie daycare world offered tons of deluxe add-ons and luxurious facilities, Hounds Town focused more on the dogs – their behavioral, emotional, and physical needs over pricey nonsense.
When asked what he believed would make him successful as a Franchise Owner, Edward’s answer was a simple one.
“I think I’m good at execution, I enjoy dogs, and I have a good history of customer service. The business is well capitalized and I have the benefit working with my brother-in-law who has launched and managed several swim school franchise locations.”
At the end of our interview, Edward had nothing but positive and hopeful things to say about his future with Hounds Town USA.
“I’ll breathe a sigh of relief once the doors open, but I look forward to welcoming customers and their dogs,” said Edward, “I hope I’m able to develop a collegial environment so that it doesn’t feel like work. And I won’t have to worry about making a reservation months in advance for the holidays!”
Finally, Edward had some pretty great advice to give to new Hounds Town Franchise Owners: “Look at a lot of concepts and figure out your comfort zone. Ask a lot of questions from people with different perspectives. Understand your financing needs and expect things to cost more and take longer. If it still looks good, then move ahead.”
In his free time, Edward enjoys spending time with his family, rowing, golfing, bicycling, and pickleball. He also enjoys spending time with his family goldendoodle, Auggie. Edward also grew up with dogs in Buffalo, NY.
We wish Edward nothing but luck with his new responsibility as a Franchise Owner and can’t wait to see what direction he takes with Hounds Town USA!
Do you want to launch your own Hounds Town USA location? Get in touch with our corporate franchise team today to learn more.