Barkbus is the fastest growing mobile dog grooming company in the country. And Barkbus launched in LA to serve southern California and recently expanded to Texas, Arizona, and now Georgia. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Barkbus CEO and co-founder Jeff Safenowitz to learn more about the company.
Background by Jeff Safenowitz
What is Safenowitz’s background? Safenowitz said:
“I have been the CEO and Co-Founder of Barkbus since 2017, the fastest growing mobile dog grooming company in the country. I’m an operator at heart, having cut my teeth as one of WeWork’s first employees responsible for helping the company grow its physical presence around the world. I like to think of myself as a 1-100 Entrepreneur, someone who loves building processes, playbooks, and systems that can scale as the business grows.”
“On a personal note, I’m from Los Angeles, where I currently live with my wife Erica and our daughter, Summer, and I’m a proud University of Michigan alum.”
Building a Barkbus
How did the idea for the company come about? Safenowitz shared:
“My co-founder Patrick Riley is a world-class designer and “tech guy” with years of experience launching businesses – think 0-1 Entrepreneur. We knew we wanted to build of business together and like most entrepreneurs, when we thought of starting a business, we passed all ideas through 3 lenses:
1.) We wanted to solve a real consumer pain point (everyone doesn’t want to take their dogs to a salon)
2.) If we solve the pain point, can we build a massive business off of it (pet parents spend $150 billion on their pets annually)
3.) Assuming we can do both 1 and 2, do our skill sets give us a unique advantage to achieve success (unit-based growth + tech & branding, check and check)
So how did we get to Barkbus? We love our dogs and hate traditional grooming options. We felt that dog grooming was the last untapped frontier within the pet category; the space lacked technology and lacked a trusted national brand that combined a seamless customer experience with compassionate, exceptional care. That, coupled with the world’s transition to a doorstep economy, makes us really excited about building both an amazing grooming business and a platform for all your pet needs right at your doorstep.”
Favorite Memory
What is your favorite memory working for the company so far? Safenowitz reflects:
“If I had to pick one particular moment that stood out, I would go with rescuing a lost dog! Last year, our concierge got a call that someone had seen a dog lost on the streets without a collar. The wearing It’s just a Barkbus blue bandana. Thanks to our tech platform and photo database (we always send customers cute mid-groom photos), we quickly identified the dog and made sure he was reunited with his owner. ari. They are worried sick and very grateful to be together again safe and sound.”
Main Products
What are the company’s main products and features? Safenowitz explains:
“We provide direct dog grooming services. With the Barkbus mobile grooming experience, all dogs get one-on-one service from a professional groomer in a calm environment—no barking from other dogs, no waiting in lines jail for their owners to pick them up. Pet parents also benefit. They don’t have to fight traffic or worry about what their dog is doing at a grooming salon, not to mention how their dog might feel and act afterwards. They always know the condition of their dogs; the Barkbus team sends owners photos of their dogs throughout the grooming session (the soapy mohawk shot is a specialty). And dog owners can quickly book online when it’s time for the next appointment.”
“Using technology has always been fundamental to our success. Barkbus has optimized routes, implemented AI-driven customer support, and built custom CRM to create seamless experiences for dogs , pet parents, and groomers. We also use AI to route our incoming messages to the right team, creating efficiencies and saving time. Our AI chatbot, ‘Astro’ chats directly with returning customers to help them quickly book appointments that best suit their needs.”
Challenges Ahead
What challenges did Safenowitz and the team face in building the company? Safenowitz acknowledged:
“Hiring exceptional talent to meet demand. To address that, we’ve invested a lot of time and energy in attracting top grooming talent that helps our referral pipeline. We like to think of ourselves as a groomer-first business – we offer above market rate salaries, full benefits with paid vacation time and professional development opportunities. “
Evolution of Barkbus Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launch? Safenowitz said:
“As previously mentioned, the integration of AI into our platform is an incredible help for the customer experience. Route optimization, customer support, seamless booking, and routing of messages with the right team members has not only saved the team countless hours and created efficiencies, but our customers get more personalized attention and have a better experience with us as a result.”
Important Milestones
What are some of the company’s most important milestones? Safenowitz noted:
“Expansions. We now serve seven cities in four states today. We started in Los Angeles in 2020 and have expanded throughout Southern California to Orange County and San Diego. Last year, we launched our first two new states in Dallas, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona – both of which have been great because the local dog-loving communities have welcomed us! So far this year, we’ve expanded into Houston and officially went coast to coast in June with our Atlanta, Georgia launch!”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Safenowitz about customer success stories, he emphasized:
“There are so many, but if I had to choose I would say I have two themes in mind. Sadly, pet parents sometimes come to us and mention that they have had traumatic grooming experiences in the past and doubt that anyone can provide safe and stress-free grooming services for their dog. They were so surprised to see their pup licking our groomer’s face and wagging their tail looking adorable after a stress free man. The atmosphere, quality of care, and calming energy make all the difference.”
“The other success story we’re proud of is that every dog gets a comprehensive hands-on pet exam from our groomer at every appointment. This comprehensive exam leads to early detection of tumors, infections, and other potentially life-threatening issues. Often the pet parent has no idea and is very grateful to us for flagging and advising them to go to their vet.”
Revenue
After asking Safenowitz about the company’s earnings, he revealed:
“We’re doubling revenue every year, improving our unit economics, and we’re excited to bring Barkbus to more communities across the country.”
Total Addressable Market
What size total addressable market (TAM) is the company chasing? Safenowitz assessed:
“The pet industry is one of the fastest growing consumer segments. The United States pet industry market is $150 billion today and Morgan Stanley estimates it will grow to $275 billion by 2030. And the -grooming is part of that growth. According to data from IBISWorld on the US pet grooming and boarding industry, “high spending by pet owners on pets” has resulted in ‘ industry-wide revenue to expand at a CAGR of 2.8% to an estimated $11.8 billion’ between 2018 and 2023.
Differentiation From the Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Safenowitz affirmed:
“People and technology. We like to think we have the best groomers in the world. We devote a lot of time and energy to building an organizational culture of compassion, excellence and progress. Our goal is to enable our groomers to focus on the puppies in their care and deliver world class customer service. To support them and our national expansion goals, we’ve built our own tech platform that powers our business. Our technology platform has enabled us to expand to 7 cities in just a few years. The best part? We’re just getting started! Excited to bring Barkbus to every city in the country in the next few years!”
Company’s Future Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Safenowitz concludes:
“Today, we are the largest and fastest growing mobile dog grooming company in the country, and we intend to continue that trajectory. We want to end traumatic trips to the grooming salon across the United States and from there – globally!”