Zoom Room® Inks Franchise Deals to Bring Agility Training Centers, Canine Social Clubs to Florida, Colorado, California, Wisconsin

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Stacey Fousse

Fast-Growing Pet Franchise Further Expands Reach Across U.S.

Los Angeles, CA – The Zoom Room®, the world's first dog agility training franchise and the only brick-and-mortar dog training franchise in America, announced today it has signed four separate franchise agreements that will bring new locations to Boca Raton, FL; Longmont, CO, Milwaukee, WI and Monterey, CA.

The Zoom Room® focuses on the bond between the owner and their dog by offering an array of classes and activities for mainstream consumers in a modern, social atmosphere. The Zoom Room offers positive dog training in group or private classes, including agility, puppy training, obedience, therapy dog training, dog tricks, scent class, Pup-lates® and Shy Dog training for rescue dogs.

Here are details on the four franchise agreements signed by the company:

• Lee Fischer and his daughter Jessica will open Florida's first Zoom Room® in Boca Raton in early 2011. The father/daughter duo has an endless love for dogs, so when Lee began looking into a business opportunity that his daughter could get involved in earlier this year, Zoom Room® was an obvious choice.
• Marnie Johnson will open a location in Longmont, Colo. in the spring of 2011. With a strong background in the pet industry, Johnson is taking her eight years of dog-related business experience from vet clinics, boarding kennels and obedience training and applying it toward her new Zoom Room®.
• Dog owners in the Monterey Bay, CA area will be able to enjoy the athletic and social atmosphere of the Zoom Room® in the spring of 2011.
• Gretchen Kabler will open a location in the Milwaukee, WI area in the spring of 2011. She has been in the corporate world for the past 18 years and was looking for a change. Having trained and titled dogs in obedience, agility and conformation, Kabler will use all of her previous dog training knowledge to run the new Zoom Room®.

"We are thrilled to fill the much-needed demand in all of these states with a place where dog owners can bond with their pets and stay fit at the same time," said Mark Van Wye, Chief Operating Officer of the Zoom Room®. "The rapid growth of the franchise means that even more pet owners will soon have access to the top-notch training we offer."

Unlike most other dog-related businesses, the Zoom Room® requires owners to be present with their dogs at all times – deepening the bond between the dogs and their owners and promoting responsible pet ownership.

In addition to agility training and other specialized classes, the Zoom Room's® Open Gym provides an opportunity for quality exercise time with one's dog, regardless of the weather. Stores also carry a full line of eco-friendly, solution-oriented training gear including raw and organic dog food, all-natural treats and chews, collars, leashes, harnesses, dog toys and puzzles. As a canine event center, the Zoom Room® is uniquely positioned to host a dog birthday party, meet-up group, charity fund-raiser or a Doggy Disco®.

The original Zoom Room® opened in Culver City, CA in 2007 and converted to the first franchised location in 2009. The second franchise location opened in Austin, TX and the third, company-owned flagship location debuted in September in Hollywood, CA.

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, nearly 40 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog. Knowing dog owners are always looking for new activities to enjoy with their pets, dog training expert Jaime Van Wye started the Zoom Room® as an exciting new place that encourages lasting friendships with other like-minded pet owners. As a sporty, eco-friendly and fresh approach to dog ownership and training, the Zoom Room® is a promising new addition to the $48 billion pet industry.

The Zoom Room® franchise requires an initial investment between $95,000 and $171,000 – significantly lower than other brick-and-mortar pet franchises currently on the market. Company executives are confident in the demand to open more than a dozen locations across the country by the end of 2011.