Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming’s passion for pet wellbeing shines through its wholesome treats
Obsessed with delivering the best nutrition and grooming experience for pets, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming (Woof Gang) operates unique stores that provide a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere combined with a luxurious general store feel. The brand offers everything that doggy dreams are made of, from all-natural, protein-rich food to the tastiest natural snacks and everything in between. Making pets look and feel their best is Woof Gang’s top priority. That is why the company develops products that are nutritionally balanced, free of harmful ingredients, and formulated to nourish pets while promoting lifelong health. Aware that each dog is special and has unique health and wellness needs, Woof Gang creates a customized experience often lacking in traditional pet care. Ricardo Azevedo, CEO, tells us more about the company’s unique selling proposition (USP) and journey in the marketplace.
“Woof Gang was founded in 2007 by dog lovers Paul and Cara Allen in North Palm Beach, where they opened their first store. In the beginning, it was meant to just be a bakery for dogs, as reflected in the company name. By around 2013, as the franchise model evolved, some franchisees began offering grooming services. Since then, grooming has become a central focus of the business and has continued to grow, resulting in the unique concept we offer today. Primarily a grooming business, Woof Gang also offers an interesting retail experience centered around all-natural dog foods and biscuits. Still, the bakery remains a significant aspect of our operations, representing the beauty of our concept. Many customers come to us to try the bakery and subsequently discover our grooming services, while others visit us for grooming and learn about our all-natural treats. Ultimately, it is the love and bond between pet parents and their pets that brings them together, whether through grooming or our homestyle bakery.
“Fast forward to mid-2022 when Garnett Station bought Woof Gang from Paul and I joined the business. We built a strong team dedicated to taking the company to the next level in terms of elevating our concept. Our goal is to ensure that the neighborhood pet store concept can expand while fostering new pet communities, all while staying true to the essence of our unique concept of blending a differentiated grooming experience and an exceptional retail environment,” Ricardo enlightens.
Within its stores, Woof Gang offers a diverse range of nutritious dog food and tasty treats, featuring both its own private label and other trusted brands. “Over the past two years, we have developed our own line of products, our private label, which includes a variety of treats, that are natural, holistic, and made from quality ingredients. We also offer a large selection of all-natural biscuits that are wheat-free, grain-free, and contain no preservatives. The beauty of our proprietary line is that we do not develop products for the sake of it; we create items that we see a genuine need for and would give to our own dogs. In fact, my dog, Lily, is our top taste tester.
“Everything we do when it comes to product development is aimed at ensuring that we bring healthier options to market and that we can treat dogs in a more natural way while fulfilling their needs, including chewing. Our treat lines include jerkies, organic jerkies, and functional jerkies designed to enhance digestion, joint health, and coat care. One of our most successful offerings is our chips line, which features single-ingredient dog treats that are very crunchy. Among these, the chicken chips made entirely from chicken breast are by far our best sellers, as they provide a natural and satisfying crunch that dogs love. In any new store we open, about 50 percent of what we sell comes from our proprietary line, while the other half is from brands that share our values,” Ricardo explains.
Better service 
To support the growth of its private label brands, Woof Gang has recently built a distribution center. “It was essential for us to control our distribution to provide a better service to our franchise owners. Relying on traditional retail distribution for pet products comes with limitations that are not necessarily beneficial for our store owners, such as minimum order requirements and freight costs. The goal was to supply franchise owners with our private label products, as well as other brands we carry, directly from our distribution center, thereby simplifying their operations and reducing costs. Additionally, the distribution center is crucial for our growth as a brand, allowing us to improve our store owners’ daily management, offer better pricing on products, and enable them to focus more on creating personalized experiences for customers rather than navigating complex purchasing and logistics. Besides, working with third-party distributors often incurs additional costs that we were able to eliminate by handling our own distribution. This allows us to pass on those savings to our franchisees. It is also worth noting that the service levels from these distributors may not always align with our standards, making our distribution center all the more important,” Ricardo emphasizes.
Continued growth
As we move through the latter half of 2025, Woof Gang is busy working on some exciting new products and locations, which Ricardo tells us more about. “This month, we launched our first line of shampoo and grooming products, which we’re incredibly excited about. We also introduced a high-quality freeze-dried product line, which I love giving to Lily. Beyond its convenience, it is packed with nutritional benefits, making it an exciting addition. On the growth front, I anticipate this year will be huge for us, and we expect to open more than 70 new stores. While the number of stores is important, we take even greater pride in the quality of these locations and the support we provide to our franchise owners. The stores we’re opening now are ramping up much faster than the 25 we opened in 2022, especially when it comes to weekly appointment growth. Thus, we have not only increased the number of stores but also enhanced the support and quality of the openings. This year, we have a strong team and established processes in place to replicate that store magic across many locations. It took time to develop the necessary tools and processes, but I believe we are now in excellent shape for continued growth,” he ends.
With the strategic expansion of its proprietary product lines and the establishment of a distribution center, Woof Gang elevates its one-stop-shop pet store concept to new heights.