Former Hallmark exec's new Overland Park luxury pet hotel features chandeliers, Dog TV [PHOTOS] – Kansas City Business Journal – The Business Journals

Italian flooring and chandeliers don’t typically come to mind when you think of doggie daycare and boarding. But K9 Resorts of Overland Park isn’t your typical facility.
The daycare and luxury pet hotel pampers your pooches with cage-free “luxury suites” and “executive rooms,” where they can nosh on premium Blue Buffalo meals and relax on Kuranda dog beds, which offer orthopedic support and eliminate pressure points.
And to stave off boredom, the luxury suites include a flat screen TV, complete with Dog TV, a television network designed for dogs. The luxury suites, which are more spacious, cost $84 a day. Executive rooms are $69. Traditional standard- and double-boarding also are available.
In some ways, the business departs from Stacie McCarty’s career in marketing and market research, including eight years at Hallmark Cards Inc. as a senior project manager in consumer research. But McCarty liked the appeal of becoming a business owner and connecting with a solid franchisor, New Jersey-based K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel, which has 22 locations in 12 states. The Overland Park location marks the first in Kansas.
McCarty bought franchising rights for the Kansas City market and secured a $3.24 million Small Business Administration loan to open the 7,200-square-foot facility at 8200 W. 135th St. It can accommodate 80 to 100 dogs.
K9 Resorts of Overland Park will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting event on Saturday, which includes local shaved ice truck Paige’s Shaved Ice, facility tours and all-natural dog treats from PawsAbilities, an Olathe nonprofit that provides skills training and job placement for people with disabilities.
For McCarty, her marketing skills carry over to running the business, from researching her target demographic to knowing how to market to them. K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel also has a similar approach to Hallmark’s Gold Crown stores, with corporate and franchisee-owned locations and a focus on being a premium brand, she said. Through Hallmark, she understands the nuances of a corporate/franchisee relationship.
K9 Resorts piqued her interest because of its forward-thinking approach and attentiveness to pet health. Its facilities feature hospital-grade air filtration and ventilation systems and antimicrobial flooring and artificial turf. To stay at the facility, pets must pass a behavior test, and only one dog at a time is allowed in the lobby. Every employee knows pet CPR and participates in extensive training on animal behavior and cleaning.
K9 Resorts sits in a thriving industry. Roughly half, or about 60 million Americans, own pets. From 2007 to 2017, pet care services sales doubled, totaling $5.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Pet care services include offerings such as grooming, boarding, training and pet sitting.
In 2021, pet services sales totaled $9.5 billion, according to an American Pet Products Association report.
McCarty had hoped that her adopted senior dog, Savannah, would live long enough to enjoy the facility, but the fox terrier bichon poodle mix died during the pandemic. McCarty is looking for another dog, but in the meantime, she’ll have her fill through K9 Resorts.
“I miss having a dog,” she said. “This is the first time in my life I haven’t actually had my own pet, so I will be extremely excited to see all of those four paws in the building.”
© 2022 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated January 1, 2021) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated July 1, 2022). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.

source