Pet supply company starts franchising efforts

Amid the pandemic, pet-related businesses have flourished, as more people become pet owners and existing pet owners pamper their furry friends.

One area business experiencing a boom is Parrish-based Leo&Lucky's, which offers pet nutrition, supplies and grooming. Business at the flagship Parrish store, in north Manatee County, has been well above average in recent months, and now the company is starting to offer franchise opportunities.

CEO Patrick McGinnis tells Coffee Talk the decision to franchise boiled down to two factors: he and his team wanted to help as many pets as possible and spread their passion for entrepreneurship with other people while scaling the business.

“Everyone always gets tied up in the day-to-day operations,” he says. “They’re so busy with that, they don’t get the opportunity to do the thing they’re passionate about — being out there with customers and helping their pets live the happiest life possible.” By providing the support of a franchise model, Leo&Lucky's aims to help with that.

McGinnis, with a background in banking, has a dozen years of experience in the industry. His wife, Rachel McGinnis, has over 25 years in the industry and is general manager of the Parrish store. A CPA business partner also brings his knowledge to the table for franchisees. “We can come in and help people with what has helped us be successful from a business standpoint,” Patrick McGinnis says.

The company is looking for franchisees interested in opening locations within a roughly three-hour drive of Parrish, generally from the Naples area to the Tampa, Orlando and Gainesville areas.

Prior to starting the franchising process, the company went through a remodeling and rebranding effort in 2020, from Pets Plus to Leo&Lucky's. “We knew we were going to be franchising,” he says. “We wanted to give ourselves a facelift, and we wanted to bring it current with design trends.”

The name Leo&Lucky's refers to the company’s specialty — dogs and cats. “Leo” represents the lion as the king of the jungle, and “Lucky” is a popular dog name and the name of one of the McGinnis’s four-legged friends.

Leo&Lucky's might also open some additional corporate locations, but that will depend on how franchising goes in the months ahead. “We don’t want to spread ourselves too thin,” McGinnis says. “We want to hold their hands through the process.”