All American PET RESORTS WWW.ALLAMERICANPETRESORTS.COM/FRANCHISE-OPPORTUNITIES A RELATIONAL APPROACH TO PET CARE FRANCHISING
ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS A RELATIONAL APPROACH TO CARE FRANCHI AT A GLANCE ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS WHAT: A premier pet care franchise known for its empathy-driven leadership, selective growth strategy, and dedication to quality service. WHERE: All American Pet Resorts operates franchise locations across the United States, with its Dallas, Texas, resort serving as the central training hub for new franchisees. WEBSITE: www.allamericanpetresorts.com/franchise-opportunities 1 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
PET ISING A TRUSTWORTHY BRAND BUILT ON EMPATHY, PASSIONATE LEADERSHIP, AND QUALITATIVE GROWTH All American Pet Resorts is a franchise born from a personal passion that has long since proven its commitment to exceptional pet care. The franchise’s growth strategy is proving to be immensely effective. By prioritizing the quality of its franchisees, the company is able to safeguard its integrity and core values. Chief Executive Officer Stephan Dimitroff explains this philosophy eloquently, saying, “The growth strategy from 2 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
the home office is qualitative, not quantitative. Building or selling 50 to 75 resorts a year is not as important to us at the home office as it is to find appropriate partners who are focused on being good brand ambassadors and are dedicated to their success.” In fact, Dimitroff’s professional trajectory perfectly embodies the type of commitment that the franchise is looking for. Formerly the company’s Executive Vice President, Dimitroff expressed his enjoyment of his work so much that he and his wife Stephanie, bought a 90% ownership stake, after which he transitioned into CEO and managing member. Above all, the All American Pet Resorts brand is built on authenticity and trust. This is exemplified by the franchise’s Dallas location, owned by Jim Ezell, Dallas’s top and longest-running franchise owner. Ezell’s operation has embodied the All American Pet Resort ethos to such an authentic extent that he has been entrusted with having his franchise serve as the brand’s training center for new franchisees. And of course, the trust doesn’t just occur internally, as the home office has also formed genuine partnerships with companies like Live Oak Bank, one of the nation’s most dignified and upstanding financial companies in the pet care industry. For All American Pet Resorts, business is not merely transactional; it’s about setting an industry standard of excellence and heartwarming customer service. A FRANCHISE ROOTED IN PASSIONATE PET CARE In 2005, when Stephan Dimitroff and his wife sought boarding for their bull mastiff, Hugo, they came across an exceptional company called Pet Ritz America, which was later rebranded into All American Pet Resorts due to a brief legal dispute with Ritz Carlton. Dimitroff noted being extremely impressed with the remarkable service and level of care he received at the Resort, especially with how comfortable he was leaving his puppy with them. 3 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS
The experience was so personable that he’d even gotten the opportunity to meet with one of the company’s founder, Art Rimbold. “I spoke with Art and said to him, you know, I would love to talk to you about being the first franchisee in the system. I’d love to understand how the business model works, and what it would take to be a franchisee,” Dimitroff says. While the timing wasn’t right then, a call from the founder in 2017 brought Dimitroff back to the company as executive vice president. After a sixmonth trial period, he left his 20-year career in the automotive industry to join full-time. It was a decision that Dimitroff never looked back from. In fact, his passion for the business and his engagement with franchisees led him further into the business, to the point that in just October of last year, Dimitroff bought out Rimbold’s ownership, making him a 90% owner of All American Pet Resorts LLC. Now, as CEO and Managing Member, his passion for helping others achieve success through the franchise system is a core driver of the company’s mission. And the company’s core mission and competencies have remained largely consistent since its founding; however, its internal operations have vastly improved. Jim Ezell who leads the longest-running Franchise in Dallas says .“When I first joined, the franchise did not have all of the support mechanisms we currently have… It’s been great to watch Stephan’s rise and contributions within the business, which have been more of an active support role than what we had starting out. So, as a franchisee, I’m very pleased with how things are operating.” Fortunately,All American Pet Resorts has not gotten lost in its success. The franchise largely recognizes that in today’s society, pets are often treated like children, and therefore receive the same level of care and attention. THE ALL AMERICAN MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY All American Pet Resorts sets itself apart from the competition through a comprehensive approach 4 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
The franchise also offers 24/7 webcams, allowing pet parents to monitor their pets at any time. These critical practice provides peace of mind and allow for a quick response to emergencies that may arise at any time of day or night. Internally, the company’s management philosophy is built on empathy, vision, and a commitment to its people, with its best practices centering on human capital management. that focuses on both visible and invisible aspects of quality care. On a national scale, the franchise’s commitment is boldly reflected in the design and expense of its facilities. “Our facilities tend to be large and very sophisticated in terms of how they’re designed and built,” Ezell clarifies, noting that most customers don’t even see many of the benefits they receive from All American Pet Resort’s facilities. Customers aren’t typically aware of the Resorts’ air quality control systems, or even the state-of-theart cleaning, deodorizing, and sanitizing processes, which are key to maintaining a healthy environment for the pets. However, one apparent thing, and a major differentiator, is the fact that the franchise operates 24/7, 365 days a year, with trained pet handlers always on the premises. Your loan should be too. YOUR BUSINESS IS UNIQUE. We offer tailored financing solutions to meet your specific needs, not ours. To learn more, visit us at liveoak.bank/petcare 5 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS
recognizing that the successful building of trust and rapport with customers is not an additive process but an exponential one. The team is dedicated to doing things right, which makes the company’s screening process so important for ensuring new hires have the personality and empathy required. This approach is evident in the Dallas location’s specific managerial practices, which foster a family- “Above all, we provide the appropriate tools and training for our franchisees to be successful. Bringing them on board and letting them just run their business without some level of participation and support would be absolutely disastrous. So, making sure we constantly provide them with updated tools and training, whether it be software or processes, is critical,” Dimitroff explains. The leadership team trains franchisees to lead with empathy and to exceed service standards, 6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
like culture that is, to a large extent, self-managing. “We’re very good at what we do because we don’t try to do a lot of things. As we handle these pets, we do everything the same way, every single time… and to a certain extent, it becomes self-managing because everyone has the same motivations and that’s to do things right,” Ezell says. Interestingly enough, the only thing that counterbalances this operational uniformity is the franchise’s deeply empathetic approach that still recognizes that each pet is an individual. The Dallas franchise’s exemplary management and operations are so effective that it has been designated as the brand’s training center for new franchisees. QUALITY PARTNERSHIPS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND FUTURE GROWTH All American Pet Resorts’ partnership strategy is deliberately one that focuses on quality over quantity. For Dimitroff, finding the right partners who share his passion and dedication is far more important 7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS
than simply expanding his vendor network. “I’ve tried to identify the best in the industry for the services we need, and we tend to work with them by making them preferred vendors, knowing that again, the relationship isn’t transactional,” Dimitroff states. All American Pet Resorts maintains long-standing relationships with partners for core supplies like pet beds and cleaning products, but has also been proactive in identifying new preferred partners for services like architecture, financial lending, and software. “One of the companies we work with is Live Oak Bank, which is one of the largest SBA funding and finance institutions in the pet care space, and they just do a phenomenal job!” Dimitroff warmly expresses, highlighting this partner’s demonstrated understanding of the business and a willingness to work collaboratively. Separate from vendor companies, engaging with the community is also a vital part of the All American Pet Resorts brand identity. While the home office selects a charity to support 8 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
each year, it also strongly encourages and measures franchisees’ participation in local philanthropy. In Dallas, this takes the form of grassroots mobilization, with the team regularly hosting fundraisers and offering pro bono pet care for community members helping with natural disasters. This local action, driven by Ezell’s manager Meredith, not only strengthens community ties but also reinforces the brand’s core values. “I can’t really put a number on it, but Meredith hosts close to or over a dozen events like that a year, where she’s working with local organizations and schools. You know, that’s just what a local business should be doing, and we enjoy doing it, and will keep it up,” Ezell says. Looking ahead, Dimitroff’s goal is to ensure that all franchisees and their customers are happy. He hopes to replicate Ezell’s level of success 9 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ALL AMERICAN PET RESORTS
PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Live Oak Bank www.liveoak.bank At Live Oak Bank, we go beyond typical lending. We create customized financial products designed specifically for your success. Our experts take a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving, helping your business surpass its goals. We understand that the Petcare industry is unique, so your financial options should be too. throughout the entire system by providing the right tools for success and fostering an environment of transparency and honesty. For Ezell, his focus is on ensuring a smooth transition into retirement. With Meredith now running more and more of the business, he feels confident in its long-term stability and is ready to enjoy his retirement. His ultimate goal is to pass the business on to Meredith, who, he suspects, will then lead it into a new phase of growth. Overall, All American Pet Resorts has emerged as a thriving franchise system where authentic, personal relationships and genuine care have defined its success since the very beginning. This franchise’s unique operation is surely on its way to redefining what it means to succeed in the modern pet care industry. 10 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
WWW.ALLAMERICANPETRESORTS.COM/FRANCHISE-OPPORTUNITIES WWW.BUSINESSVIEWMAGAZINE.COM AS FEATURED IN BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE All American Pet Resorts
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