A Wisconsin family searching for its next franchise opportunity found it in the dog wellness concept Scenthound. Following a successful run with Orangetheory Fitness, the husband-and-wife duo of Kevin and Tracey Scharnek, along with their daughter Riley, plan to open 10 units.
After graduating from college in 2022, Riley Scharnek began working in the retail industry at the corporate level, but her true career aspirations were in business ownership.
To make that a reality, she decided to become a franchisee with the dog wellness brand Scenthound, inking a five-unit deal for Milwaukee in partnership with her parents. Kevin and Tracey Scharnek bring nearly a decade of franchise experience to the deal as Orangetheory operators in Wisconsin from 2013-2022.
“Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, I always had the itch for it,” Riley Scharnek said. “Seeing my parents’ success with Orangetheory, and with me being new to starting a business, a franchise concept was what felt best. The next step was finding one with good corporate support on a buildout.”
Riley Scharnek, center, pictured with parents Kevin and Tracey Scharnek, are new franchisees with Scenthound.
Kevin Scharnek said the effort by the franchisors is reminiscent of his experience with Orangetheory, which gave him confidence in joining with Scenthound.
“I was really impressed with the founders of Orangethoery and the people they surrounded themselves with,” he said. “I went down to meet them with the intention of buying one studio, but was so impressed with their team that I bought the rights to Wisconsin. We had a great experience, and now I’m seeing a lot of similarities between what Scenthound is doing and what Orangethoery did in creating a category and being leaders in the market.”
Founded in 2015 and franchising since 2019, Scenthound has 139 locations, six of them company-owned. Co-founder and CEO Tim Vogel said he launched the concept to create a broader definition of dog care.
“I had been in the dog grooming business for several years and understood what the customers needed,” Vogel said. “Then I had an ‘a ha’ moment. I was walking my dog, and a new neighbor had just moved in with a Labrador retriever. I said I have a dog grooming business and he said ‘I’d use your services but my dog doesn’t need it.’”
“I realized grooming is really focused on haircuts, so that’s the paradigm people have in their minds,” Vogel continued. “But all dogs need care, so I started looking at it through a new lens. Of the top 10 breeds in the United States, only one requires a haircut. So, we wanted to make a place that’s fast, easy and affordable for all other dog parents to get the hygiene and care they need.”
In the time since its founding and subsequent franchise launch, Vogel said the brand has made a commitment to sufficiently backing its owners.
“We’ve spent the last five years continuing to build our infrastructure and serving the needs of our franchisees,” Vogel said. “Because if they’re not successful, we’re not successful.”
For Riley Scharnek, who studied consumer behavior and marketplace studies at the University of Wisconsin, it was both the brand’s mission and support that sealed the deal.
“One of the big things is finding a passion,” she said. “As someone who volunteered at our local animal shelter, it combined my passion for dogs and animal wellness. And operationally, it was seeing the detail the founders have put in to everything they do, because dog safety is the No. 1 concern. Dogs are family, so when you bring your dog somewhere, you want the place to take care of them as you would.”
Kevin Scharnek praised the brand’s operations as well, noting how far along the concept is for its size and time in the market.
Scenthound CEO Tim Vogel founded the brand in 2015.
“I know they will always be adding things, but when we met with them, they were so far ahead in terms of their technology, support and processes,” he said. “That was really impressive to me.”
Vogel said he was impressed with what the Scharneks bring to the table as well, highlighting the whole family’s ownership approach.
“People who get into franchising have an entrepreneurial spirit, and you need one on that journey,” Vogel said. “That spirit also includes an attitude of ‘I can do that on my own.’ Someone who’s already done that can really understand and honor the 10 years of learning with the concept that they get to skip. Another motivation is the legacy piece. Having Riley involved and her taking the entrepreneurial journey makes for a special combination.”
Average gross sales were $452,732 in 2024, with 51 percent of revenue coming from membership fees, according to Scenthound’s franchise disclosure document. The average net operating income last year was $86,279.
The initial investment to open a Scenthound ranges from $328,099 to $549,869 for a single unit, and from $368,099 to $592,369 for two locations. The average square footage is between 1,110 and 1,300.