Today we’d like to introduce you to Randall Fetcho and Samir Alsaraf.
Randall, Samir – please share your story with us.
Before we opened Canine Social Club, Samir was an architect residing in Chicago and Randall was a nurse and an actor/celebrity personal assistant to 8 time Grammy Award winners, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Shortly after deciding to leave LA to be closer to Randall’s family he decided have a change in his career path by enrolling in a college to obtain his nursing license. After a few years nursing he met Samir. In 2009, during the economic downturn, Samir was laid off and they decided they wanted to start their own company. The question was, “what kind of company”. They looked at their two Viszlas, Vasco and Reilly, and decided to open a dog kennel. “We both love animals and felt it was the perfect job for both of us”, said Samir.
In the midst of an economic crisis and against our friends and family’s advice, they took all of their savings and put it into a 3000 sq. ft. building they found on Western Avenue. Since the place was an old auto body shop they had a lot of work to do. Samir used his architectural and building skills to plan out floor space with our branding style while Randy began working on advertising the old fashioned way. “I went to every doggy beach, Doggy Park, and dog gathering known to man in the City. Every person I met had a dog on a leash in one hand and a business card of Canine Social Club in the other”, added Randy. Samir ran the place until they were profitable enough for Randy to quit his nursing job. Randall: “I would go to my job for 8 hours and then stop by the dog beach, parks, etc to hand out cards on my way home.”
We knew, once we opened and had a clientele, it was very important to have incredible customer service, low prices, and unsurpassed pet care to continue to grow. With that in mind, it became part of our business plan and influenced the branding we have of, “1950’s– the customer was always right.” Samir designed our facility with that in mind and it’s been a hit with our customers. Our philosophy of great customer service has often times led us to go out of our way to make sure our guests have a great stay. One time, we even went with a customer to the vet’s office, because she didn’t have anyone else in the city, when it was decided she had to put down her dog. We cared about her and her dog and that must ultimately be the reason.
Since opening in May, 2009, we’ve continued to grow from word of mouth and have not spent much on paid advertising. We’ve worked very hard to maintain our basic philosophy through the years and have insisted our staff do the same. We have wonderful, caring and knowledgeable employees who have been with us for a number of years. As a result, we continue to grow.
From LA to Chicago because I wanted to be closer to my family in the early 2000s and went to nursing school ultimately getting a job at a hospital in Chicago. I met my current partner, Samir, in 2004, shortly after moving here. In 2009, Samir lost his architectural job due to the economic downturn and could not, like so many others, find a job. I had been working as a personal assistant to 8-time Grammy Award winners, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. and did some small acting jobs on the side in TV and Film. I needed a change and quit my job nursing. Before getting my nursing license, I worked in Los Angeles as a personal assistant for many years to We both love animals and have two of our own.
Has it been a smooth road?
Some of the struggles have been the amount of time working. In the beginning, you don’t have employees–just the owners putting in as many as 80 hours a week –or more== making sure the facility is operating and customer and pets are receiving a high standard of care and attention.
We also found that it’s difficult to find good employees who are willing to stay for the long haul in the beginning. However, as our facility has matured we’ve been able to add benefits to our company, such as health insurance, to make their lives better. We’ve also tried to accommodate them with time off when needed. So, that situation stabilized. The people working for you are the ones who make the business. So, therefore, we had to put in 200% until we are where to find a stable, reliable staff who we trust.
Also, we live together so we were together 24-7. In addition to starting a business we also gutted our home and remodeled. So, there were lots of decisions to be made on our growing business which we sometimes clashed on. But, ultimately, we made it through the hard times and the experience has made us much stronger. We were able to determine our strengths and weakness and been able to use them to our advantage.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Canine Social Club story. Tell us more about the business.
Canine Social Club is a medium sized facility. We offer boarding, daycare, grooming and some retail. We feel our approach to our business philosophy and our facility size sets us apart from other kennels. We, as the owners, are there and present every day to interact with our clients or to listen if they have concerns or issues.
We mentioned earlier that our business philosophy is, “great customer service, exceptional pet care and lower prices”. Initially, we thought the facility was huge…but soon after we discovered it was not– compared to lots of other kennels. But, in retrospect, the size of our building and our retro branding has greatly helped us achieve our objectives and it has given a very boutique feel.
Because we have a lower number of guests than the larger facilities, we are able to meet and surpass our “exceptional dog care”. We are very hands on and recognize each dog as they come in and call them by their name during their time with us. We also know their normal behavior so it makes it easier to let the owner know if they are behaving differently than usual. Samir: “How do you know if a guest is behaving differently if you don’t know their “normal” disposition? The dogs react much better when you call their name. We also get to know what they like and don’t like and cater to them. We always treat each guest as if he/she was our own; that’s how we would want our two, Vasco and Reilly treated.
As far as customer service, we also know the owners when they come in and a little bit about their lives. So, it becomes much like “Cheers” where everybody knows your name. We also go out of our way to accommodate clients and try to make their lives a bit easier.
Our third philosophy is low prices…everybody loves that; but only if you can keep a high standard of care. People feel as though they are getting a bargain if the service is above and beyond what they feel they pay. And, that’s what we do.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The pet industry continues to grow each year. People are treating their pets like family and are willing to spend money for ancillary services such as luxury items like shuttle service, clothing, and other special items that any other family member would have. We don’t expect it to slow down in the future.
Pricing:
- Boarding – $40/night and includes 7 hours of daycare/slightly higher during peak holiday times
- Daycare – from $19.80/day to $28 depending on how often you bring your dog
- Grooming – Price varies by breed
- Canine Social Club Doggie Limo – Available at an extra cost and within our boundaries
- 30 Minute Walks – Boarding add on
- 5K run – Boarding add on
- Homemade gourmet meals
- Snuggle Time – $8 for 10 minutes
Contact Info:
- Address: 5508 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625 - Website: WWW.KnineSocialClub.com
- Phone: 773 506-6200
- Email: Owner@KNineSocialClub.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kninesocialclub
- Twitter: @kninesocialclub
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/canine-social-club-chicago
Image Credit:
Randall Fetcho
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