Kendra Locke and Corene Petitpren initial fulfilled when on journey health and fitness treatment assignments in Michigan, wherever they’d regularly see every other going for walks their dogs. The lifelong animal lovers are now married and dwelling in Cape Coral — where their four-legged buddies are at the center of their burgeoning business enterprise enterprise, The K9 Kitchen area.
It all began when they were doing work in California numerous several years back and observed their canine walker earning her have doggy foods. They required to get out of overall health treatment (they worked in sterile processing in operating rooms) and assumed some thing puppy-associated would be a great move. So they began playing all-around with their have recipes for pet dog food stuff and hoping it out on their pets.
“We had been noticing a large distinction just by taking away some kibble and including clean fruits and greens,” claims Locke, 40. “Their strength levels bought better our black puppy bought rid of its dandruff. That is form of when it clicked and we have been like, let’s do a puppy food items enterprise.”
It is taken a ton of exploration and plenty of demo and error to expand the enterprise, but right now The K9 Kitchen area is on the verge of massive factors. It is now selling its all-natural, antibiotic-, hormone-, and steroid-cost-free new puppy food items nationally by using its website (thek9kitchenllc.com) and is placing numerous pieces in spot for future advancement.
“Our slogan is ‘for the appreciate of canine,’ and we make them this truly balanced meals because they give us so a great deal enjoy,” suggests Locke. “That’s why we do it. We really do not want to be the most important corporation we just want to be the greatest. We’re not in it to be millionaires. We’re in it to aid pet dogs have a much healthier everyday living.”
Conquer difficulties
Locke and Petitpren started by likely to LegalZoom and environment up a business title, then investigated puppy foods and labeling needs. “We essentially uncovered alongside the way,” claims Locke.
Their veterinarian recommended getting in contact with a vet nutritionist to assist them refine their recipes. Just after studying solutions, they went with a single centered in North Carolina. Locke and Petitpren offered the components they wanted to use, and the vet nutritionist built absolutely sure the recipes had been nutritionally well balanced and totally harmless for canines. “It’s tremendous, tremendous high-priced but thoroughly well worth it,” states Locke.
Up coming up was all the required registrations and licensing for functioning the enterprise. Locke and Petitpren initially self-funded everything with their personal savings. The K9 Kitchen area formally released in September 2019, and the company kicked off product sales in January 2020 by advertising its two canine meals recipes at 4 Southwest Florida farmers’ marketplaces.
‘We really do not want to be the major corporation we just want to be the ideal. We’re not in it to be millionaires. We’re in it to assist pet dogs have a healthier everyday living.’ Kendra Locke, The K9 Kitchen
That was a start off-tiny approach that made overall perception at that time. But then the pandemic, of study course, shut almost everything down. “The planet went upside down, and we had to determine out are we likely to shut the organization or go ahead?” claims Locke.
They made a decision to use that time when the marketplaces were being shut down to arrive up with a third pet dog food recipe two varieties of canine treats and six flavors of “pup-sicles.” “We just took that time and despatched almost everything to the vet nutritionist, acquired all the labels built and registered each individual item via the Florida Department of Agriculture,” says Locke. “By the time we could get started receiving out there once more, we had extra goods to offer. So COVID definitely harm us, but it assisted us at the exact time.”
The company created some faithful clients. But product sales weren’t as robust as they desired to be to maintain the business enterprise. The K9 Kitchen area experienced a website, but it did not operate as very well as it ought to have. So last summer time, Locke and Petitpren found them selves at a turning stage: they experienced to evaluate the viability of their organization.
They began the process of closing up store, getting down the company’s website and Google listing. But when a single common buyer could not locate them on the internet anymore, she gave them a call and asked if Locke and Petitpren would be keen to converse with her and her husband about their business.
“We had under no circumstances viewed these people today they just positioned orders,” says Locke. During their telephone contact the partner questioned queries like why they begun the company and what type of tools they desired. “I was like, what is this man getting at?” recalls Locke. “Then they reported, ‘We’re investors. Really don’t shut the business down. Here’s a chunk of income to continue to keep it open up.’”
The arrangement’s however in a trial period and the investors choose to stay in the background. But if all keeps likely nicely, they’ll put a official program alongside one another. “Basically the ball’s in our court,” states Locke.
Unfold the Word
The K9 Kitchen at the moment prepares and cooks its items at the Florida Culinary Accelerator in Immokalee. Its hen, beef, and turkey recipes are all designed with new meat, grains, fruits, and veggies that are human grade. “You could just take a bite out of any one particular of our food items,” states Locke.
The corporation employs ingredients from area farms when it can and is working on finding its goods accredited as natural and organic. “I want people today to know that when they see our brand or see The K9 Kitchen area, they know it’s excellent,” suggests Petitpren, 52. “Kendra and I strive to continue to keep chemicals out of our foodstuff. Which is why all the meats we use have no steroids, hormones, or antibiotics. We really like dogs and want many years extra on to their currently shorter lifestyle — joyful and nutritious many years.”
Stefania Pifferi.Kendra Locke and Corene Petitpren established The K9 Kitchen in 2019.
The business will quickly be relocating to a bigger area at the Culinary Accelerator when yet another small business moves out. That will give Locke, Petitpren, and their part-time personnel much more space to make and store food stuff — an essential element because almost everything is manufactured contemporary and without having preservatives — and permit them to ship orders from the business kitchen area, as well. (Appropriate now which is finished out of the owners’ home.) The trader partnership features the possibility of acquiring area and placing with each other the company’s personal commercial kitchen at some place down the street.
There’s a enormous prospective marketplace out there for the corporation. In accordance to facts from the American Pet Merchandise Association, 69 million U.S. households have a dog as a pet. And it is estimated that pet homeowners invested $44.1 billion on pet food and treats in 2021.
Locke and Petitpren declined to present certain revenue figures. But from December 2021 to the stop of February, website sales were being up 261%, email subscribers were being up 436%, Fb engagement was up 115% and Fb followers were being up 11%. “In the very last several months we have certainly grown, which is just brilliant,” claims Locke.
A new concentrate on promoting efforts is serving to to generate that advancement and introduce extra people to the company’s goods. In 2021 The K9 Kitchen area commenced performing with Jennifer Leach, president of Screaming Admirers Promoting in Naples. “They had now made a good line of solutions and they experienced faithful customers, but they had been truly struggling striving to get the phrase out to the much larger audience,” claims Leach.
Due to the fact then the company’s carried out a pricing investigation, revamped and enhanced its web-site, and developed new brand documents to superior market alone. “We had to present our information to anyone in a very clear and regular way,” states Leach. “That way folks who see us can recognize the brand name and what it’s all about…Getting our messaging straight and consistent has definitely been a significant element of the important in supporting purchasers realize the rewards of The K9 Kitchen area, how to acquire it, and why they must get it.”
The company is also acquiring a new software off the ground to partner with social media influencers. “We know that people who are clients of The K9 Kitchen are big followers,” says Leach. “So we needed to give all those individuals an avenue to unfold the word and make a very little little bit whilst they’re doing it.”
Regionally The K9 Kitchen area items are bought at Farmer Joe’s in Cape Coral, numerous Pet Excellent destinations, Tiny Paws Bakery in Fort Myers and Burnt Retailer Animal Hospital in Punta Gorda. Darlene Sumner, owner of Small Paws Bakery and a certified canine nutritionist, appreciates that The K9 Kitchen’s doggy foods is human grade and made from higher-top quality substances.
“They took the effort to discover the most nutritional sources for their food stuff, and it is formulated and balanced,” she claims. “You just cannot have a healthful puppy if you don’t feed your pet dog healthier food. I like the fact that they are area, and I like to assist out modest businesses simply because I am a compact business.”
“It’s awesome to know that the science is at the rear of it, so you know that your pet is getting a total diet plan,” provides Nicole Kenedy, senior manager of Dog Best. “What I convey to a lot of people…is sure, you are paying out much more funds on their diet plan [than with traditional dry or canned dog food]. But you are not spending funds on health issues. So with feeding new or raw or a awesome fifty percent-and-50 % mixture, your dogs are much less prone to allergic reactions and significantly less vulnerable to abdomen upset. They have reduced shedding and cleaner teeth. There is a ton of benefits to feeding fresh new.”
Now with the company’s improved web-site and ability to provide consumers nationwide (besides Alaska and Hawaii), the upcoming appears to be vivid. “Since we created the new website and introduced it, it’s getting much more and much more traction every single month and product sales are growing,” suggests Leach. “I’ve obtained truly superior hopes for them.”