GoDog announced industry pioneer Amy Nichols is taking the helm as CEO. With the appointment, the company expands its franchising trajectory in partnership with Level 5 Capital Partners, a consumer growth equity firm that is investing up to $50 million.
Founded in 2018 by Jess and Ben Eberdt, GoDog is a pet hospitality concept whose offerings include dog boarding, daycare, grooming and a membership-based dog park and bar. The company currently has three locations in the Southeast.
“Today’s pet parents want to provide the best level of care they can for their pets. They don’t treat them like family, they are family,” said Ben Eberdt, founder and CMO. “GoDog addresses that need for a high level of care and combines it with convenience. You don’t have to research multiple businesses and your dog doesn’t have to go through the stress of learning so many new places, because everything is in one place. And because we set such a high standard of service, our customers are confident their pet is in the best care no matter what service they need. I’m excited to extend our vision for pet-hospitality through franchising with the investment from Level 5 and thrilled to bring on an industry veteran like Amy to help us take GoDog to the next level.”
Nichols brings more than 20 years of experience in the pet care and franchising industries to the GoDog team. Her experience founding and developing pet-focused companies and initiatives “is unmatched and brings a strategic growth plan to GoDog as the company launches its franchising initiative,” according to a press release.
“As someone immersed in the pet category for the past two decades, I’m incredibly confident in what GoDog is offering to both consumers and business owners – so much so that it inspired my return to franchising,” Nichols said. “We’re in an especially unique position, as we’re currently agile and nimble in size, but have a strategic investment and knowledge from a very experienced team that allows us to thoughtfully explore innovative ideas and strategies. We’re enthusiastic about what’s to come and look forward to sharing these ideas with our franchise partners and introducing them to the market.”
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Level 5 Capital Partners announced its initial $20 million investment in GoDog in 2022, with plans to jumpstart the company’s franchising platform as it aimed to scale from a premium regional player to a dominant nationwide name in pet hospitality. In addition, Level 5 has plans for considerable investment beyond the initial funding for new GoDog locations, accelerating system wide openings. A seasoned investor in the franchising space, Level 5 has demonstrated success in launching franchising capabilities for emerging brands, most notably in Big Blue Swim School, where the overlap in stage of life cycle and capital needs are very similar.
“GoDog caught the attention of the Level 5 team as it shares key elements of our target brands for growth – they are an emerging brand in a high-demand industry with a best-in-class experience for the consumer,” says Duane LeVine, Principal, Level 5 Capital Partners. “We’ve been exploring entering the pet industry based on the vertical’s explosive growth in recent years and GoDog’s existing locations, branding and management team have demonstrated tremendous proof of concept. Now is the time to capitalize on these foundations and we’re excited about the future with GoDog, Ben and Amy.”
GoDog is now seeking qualified franchise partners to bring its GoDog: Play, Stay, and Social offerings to communities nationwide. For more information, visit franchise.godoghq.com.</div?
