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A Moveable Treat

Posted by dzadmin 02 Jul 2017 No Comments »
A Moveable Treat

How these entrepreneurs ride the food truck craze might make you rethink the way you reach your customers.

 STORY BY ELIZABETH KELLAR

You know how it is. You’re hungry, searching for something to enjoy on-the-go. Something tasty. Trendy. And perhaps made of organic chicken necks or baked in the shape of bone. 

Wait. Did we mention you’re a dog? Or that the dining destination you’re hunting for is a canine treat truck, one that caters just to your particular palate? 

Just as human food trucks have grown more popular, popping across the country in large numbers to serve unique eats to a two-legged clientele, doggie treat trucks are also rolling into the mainstream. 

In recent years, treat trucks have debuted in several parts of the country and around the world, with mobile-minded entrepreneurs traveling different paths to prosperity and managing — sometimes literally — a dizzying array of moving parts, including marketing, food preparation, vehicle maintenance and more. 

Read on to discover what keeps these treat truck proprietors on the road to success. 

You may even find yourself  pondering new ways  you can reach out to your own customer base.


 

1968 Chevrolet stepvan painted in Tiffany & Co. blue houses the Seattle Barkery. 

Think Outside the Truck and Be Social Media-Savvy

The Seattle Barkery | Seattle, WA

In 2014, Dawn Ford and her husband Ben had accumulated enough savings  to buy a bigger house. But deep down, Ford wondered if she could spend that money to pursue a dream she’d nurtured for some time: to start a doggie treat truck. 

At the time, Ford — a former dog walker — was making her own treats and selling them at farmer’s markets. A truck was  appealing because it was mobile and convenient, she explains. Her husband encouraged her idea, and in 2015, the Seattle Barkery was unleashed.

Ford and her truck soon found themselves attracting national media, including a spot on NBC Nightly News and a feature in USA Today

Still, the day-to-day process of running a doggie treat truck has presented its challenges. 

With Seattle’s notoriously rainy winters, creating indoor opportunities for revenue seemed like a prudent idea. So in September 2016, the Seattle Barkery opened a permanent location within Dogwood Playpark, an indoor Seattle dog playground. 

Ford has also been proactive on social media, hiring a teenage assistant to help the Seattle Barkery stay in touch with social media fans. The Seattle Barkery page has about 5,500 likes on Facebook, and about 5,000 followers on Instagram. Ford credits those numbers to the company’s willingness to engage with online fans. She’s a particular fan of “regramming,” the practice of sharing other’s Instagram photos with Seattle Barkery followers, but still giving credit to the original photo poster. 

“It shouldn’t just be all about our posts,” she says. “We have to make an effort to engage as well.”

 

Donna Santucci bills Fido to go! as the first of its kind in the U.S. 

Keep Your Passion Central to the Brand 

Fido To Go! | Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA

In the summer of 2008, Donna Santucci was on the beach in Chicago, watching dogs frolic on the shores of Lake Michigan and listening to the tinkling music of an ice cream truck as it passed. In a flash, the concept of a doggie treat truck came to her. Three years later and inspired by her own dog’s dietary needs, Santucci unveiled her doggie treat, ice cream and frozen yogurt truck at Chicago’s “Bark in the Park” event. 

She bills Fido to go! as the first of its kind in the nation. 

A certified groomer, Santucci draws heavily on her own nutritional education to make the truck’s offerings, which includes a menu of natural, organic and locally-sourced items that are free of gluten, grain, soy, egg and sugar. She also
encourages her staff to chat with clients about their dogs’ nutritional needs and learn more about each pet’s health background to help provide the best treat experience.

“You have to know if they have any problems. You need to know allergies and such,” she says.

Although Fido to go! has proved profitable enough to expand — Santucci operates two trucks in Chicago and one in San Diego — Santucci says her biggest payoffs have been at the emotional level. 

“This is my passion, this animal nutrition,” she says. 

She’s also quick to point out that a treat truck carries costs a traditional storefront does not, such as liability insurance in case someone is injured by the truck. The market for the truck is small, she adds, drawing a specific type of client — one who understands the quality of the treats and who will spend money to feed them to their dog. 

Santucci’s passion translates into other areas of her business, too. A visit to Fido to go! should be a happy experience, she says, something that leaves customers feeling like beloved family members who have come to your home for dinner. 

“Be very welcoming,” she says, “and be loyal as well. They will be loyal, too.” 

 

Take Advantage of Changing Attitudes

Fetch | Birmingham, AL

In 2014, Allison Whitfield-Smith sensed something was going on in her hometown of Birmingham. The city of just over 200,000 — Alabama’s largest — was going through a shift. Younger people were moving to the area, several new pet-friendly breweries had opened, and a local shopping center was heavily promoting its pet-friendly attitude. Also, several ordinances had been passed to make it easier for food trucks — human food trucks, that is — to operate. 

“I saw that Birmingham was moving in a direction that would support this business,” she says. “It was just a matter of time, someone was going to do it, and I wanted to do it before they did.”

Whitfield-Smith recalled seeing a news segment about a treat truck for dogs in New York City. After many years working in a corporate environment, the thought of a doggie treat and ice cream truck — one she ultimately started as FETCH — sounded like an exciting change. So far, her hunch about Birmingham being able to support a doggie treat truck has proved right. FETCH’s 2017 is proving to be twice as busy as 2016, she says, something she credits in part to strong word-of-mouth. 

“The dog community is sort of very interconnected,” she says. “Once you get in one place, people hear about you.”

As part of her treat truck circuit, she visits doggie daycares, dog parks, farmer’s markets and local festivals. She has also become a part of the Birmingham food truck coalition, attends fundraising and charity events, and hires the truck out for birthday parties. But few marketing tools have proven as useful as the FETCH truck itself. With its funky purple-and-blue paint job and graphic paw print design, the truck is quick to draw attention wherever it goes. 

“It’s such a novelty kind of business, people kind of gravitate towards it,” Whitfield-Smith says.

 

Lara Enzor started BowWow Boes in 2012 and is now expanding into dog-treat vending machines.

Market Like You Mean It, and Expand with Integrity

Bow Wow Bones | Austin, TX

Lara Enzor started Bow Wow Bones in 2012, using a portion of her $25,000 seed money to invest in a used snow cone truck. Five years later, Enzor — who has a background in biology and chemistry — credits a solid marketing strategy for building awareness of Bow Wow Bones, as well as her company’s commitment to providing clients with healthy treats for their pets. She purchases her products from local Austin treat-makers.

“People are very interested in the ingredients, where those ingredients have been sourced from,” she says. “They don’t want to put junk in their dogs.”

She devotes about 30 to 50 percent of her budget to marketing, money that helps power her brand online, on social media and to connect her with traditional media. 

“I have a big team,” she says. “I outsource things I’m not good at, or I don’t want to spend my time doing.”

As Bow Wow Bones prospered and an expansion seemed likely, Enzor realized that having more trucks wouldn’t necessarily be more enjoyable. But the next phase of her business — the Wag-A-Matic K9 Kiosk vending machine — does promise that.

The Wag-A-Matic is currently undergoing a six-month, 12-machine trial phase in Austin. As with the food trucks, Enzor says the machines give customers a chance to have the instant gratification of an immediate purchase for their pet.

“I felt like that was a natural expansion of the food truck,” she says. “It’s in a whole lot more places, and it’s a whole lot more convenient.”

 

Courtesy of PetsPlusMag.com

SuperZoo Unveils Theme for 2017 Event

Posted by dzadmin 30 Jun 2017 No Comments »
SuperZoo Unveils Theme for 2017 Event

It takes place July 25-27.

(Press Release) MONROVIA, CA – “Better Together” is the theme for this year’s SuperZoo — North America’s leading pet retail trade exposition and conference, produced by World Pet Association (WPA) – which returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, July 25-27, with conference sessions July 24-26.

Thousands of pet industry professionals — independent retailers, business owners, buyers, manufacturers, specialists and experts — from across the U.S. and around the world are expected to attend the event. After adding more that 85,000 square feet of exhibit space in 2016, SuperZoo encompasses nearly 300,000 square feet of show floor space, showcasing the latest products from nearly 1,100 manufacturers and suppliers in eight easy-to-navigate neighborhoods and special areas. It’s anticipated that more than 820 brand new products will be launched by exhibitors at the show in the New Product Showcase, testament to the importance and vitality of SuperZoo as a showcase for new products and the latest trends.
SuperZoo will introduce two new lounges in 2017, one Aquatic and one International. The Aquatic Lounge will feature live demonstrations by renowned aquascaper Oliver Knott. More information can be found here: www.superzoo.org/aquatic-lounge.

The 2017 “Better Together” show theme is a focus which WPA President Doug Poindexter feels really reflects what is going on in the pet industry.

“Whether you’re a long-time pet professional or are new to the world of animal products and services, SuperZoo brings professionals from all sectors of the industry together to find solutions, share ideas, source new products and make long-lasting connections that will move the industry forward,” says Poindexter. “Better Together really represents the value we at SuperZoo place on uniting to meet the challenges we face, and to grow, learn and support the industry that has supported us. It speaks to the inclusive nature of the pet industry and an event that welcomes everyone, from independent retailers to groomers to international and mass-market buyers. As an industry, we strive to make the world a better place for pets and their people, too, and when we open the lines of communication all the way from the pet parent back to the manufacturer, I think we as an industry are truly Better Together, and can achieve so much more.”

In addition to the exhibition floor, SuperZoo 2017 is offering a comprehensive program of education and learning, with more than 80 specifically tailored sessions designed for retailers and pet industry professionals of all types — from independent pet store owners to groomers, service professionals and wellness teams. New for 2017, SuperZoo will offer a variety of free Animal Wellness and Retail sessions right on the show floor in Hall D/E. Sessions at the SuperZoo Conference will encompass animal welfare, grooming, retail and merchandizing, marketing, leveraging social media, business planning and management, training and merchandizing, as well as a focus on more practical and vocational subjects, including animal behavior and management, CPR for animals, photography, business models, upselling services, and general business advice and best practices. An overview of the educational and vocational tracks can be found here: www.superzoo.org/conference/sessions.

A popular part of SuperZoo is the Groomer SuperShow, which has grown and evolved significantly since it was added to SuperZoo. As well as showcasing a huge range of products for groomers from both leading suppliers and niche specialists, SuperZoo offers a full program of grooming competitions, with more than $45,000 in prize money at stake. This year’s contests include multiple divisions for each regular breed class, plus Best Pet Stylist, Best First-Time Competitor, the Creative Styling Competition, the Rescue Rodeo Competition and the Groomer Super Jackpot Contest.

Launched in 2016, SuperZoo’s Good Works social media initiative is back and will again showcase business owners in the pet industry going above and beyond by performing good works in their communities. The contest rules are simple. From June 12 to July 12 at 11:59 p.m. PST, contestants can post a photograph on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram of their pet business doing “Good Works” for their community, tagging SuperZoo and using the hashtag #WPAGoodWorks. The winner, to be announced during SuperZoo, will receive a prize of $1,000 donated to a charity of their choice. In addition, for 2017 there will be a second prize of $500 and a third prize for $250, again to be donated to charities selected by the respective winners. Highlights of the 2016 entries and winner can be viewed online at www.superzoo.org/good-works-contest.

SuperZoo attendees will also have the opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy some dancing and music. The House of Blues concert has become a highlight of SuperZoo and this year will be no exception, with country music star Trace Adkins playing on Wednesday, July 26 exclusively for SuperZoo attendees. Concert information can be found at www.superzoo.org/concert.

“We’re energized and excited to welcome our friends and colleagues to Las Vegas to reinforce our belief that SuperZoo really is the place where the pet industry comes together and gets better,” Poindexter says. “Connecting with peers at SuperZoo encourages the sharing of knowledge, strategies, ideas and stories, creating experiences that further support those personal relationships with customers and their animals, and with our local communities, to provide the personal expertise and local, first-hand knowledge that customers simply can’t get elsewhere.”

For more information about SuperZoo, or to register: www.superzoo.org. Keep up to date with the latest from SuperZoo by following the event via social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/superzootweet

Instagram: www.instagram.com/superzooshow

Facebook www.facebook.com/SuperZoo

Courtesy of PetsPlusMag.com

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