Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrystaline and Brian Sullivan.
Chrystaline and Brian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2014, we acquired Bark ATL from the company’s founders, Morgan Beasley and Angela Diffly. Bark ATL was the perfect fit with our family’s values as we are both lifelong animal lovers and passionate about animal rights.
Since 2007, Bark ATL has been providing cage-free dog daycare and boarding with 24-hour onsite staff at its downtown Atlanta location. Bark ATL is a small boutique facility with a maximum capacity of 70 dogs. Because the facility is cage-free, we separate the dogs in playgroups by temperament and size for daytime play in one of our 3 spacious playrooms and outdoor yard where well-trained attendants supervise them. At bedtime, our guests return to their playroom, we turn down the lights and play soft music so the dogs can enjoy a restful sleep. We do not put the dogs in cages or crates at nighttime – they sleep out in the open just as they would in their own homes. In addition, while we do lock the doors after office hours, the dogs are never left alone – there is always at least one human in the building at all times, 24 hours/7 days a week.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The transition of the business from the original founders was smooth. We have a great staff and group of managers that stayed on to help us. Last year, we promoted Justin Wierman who has been with Bark ATL since 2011 to the position of General Manager and Justin has done a tremendous job of managing the day-to-day operations.
However, there are several challenges that we have faced. During the summer of 2015, a new strain of the dog flu that was spreading across the country. Because a vaccine did not exist and the virus was highly contagious, many American dog owners were avoiding dog parks and dog daycares, including Bark ATL. Even veterinary clinics and animal hospitals were struggling to prevent the spread of the disease. We immediately implemented very strict cleaning protocols – we spent a lot on bleach that summer – cleaning the entire facility multiple times per day. In addition, our staff was diligent in watching for symptoms, and, when we saw anything, immediately isolated that dog and did more cleaning. Luckily, although we sent several dogs home due to symptoms, none of those cases turned out to be the flu. With a vaccine now available and the virus slowed, we have been able to scale back the cleanings to once per day but are still vigilant in watching for symptoms.
One of our biggest ongoing challenges is managing our holiday reservations. Because we are a small facility with a maximum capacity of 70 dogs, we generally have to close our daycare during the busy holidays to accommodate our overnight guests and occasionally have to turn away some of our most loyal customers once the reservations are full. In addition, all our employees must work each holiday (because we need all hands-on deck) and miss time with their own families during those times.
Bark ATL – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As discussed above, Bark ATL’s core values are centered on our cage-free environment. We put the utmost importance to take care of our dogs, our people and our clients/dog owners – in that order. Being cage-free for both daycare and boarding differentiates us from our competitors who may offer cage-free daycare but crate or kennel the dogs in the evening. We do not lock the doors and go home – there is a human in the building at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We do have 6 feeding suites so the dogs can eat their meals (or a time-out from the playgroup, if needed) but, otherwise, the dogs are not behind bars during their stay with us.
We are very proud of our Bark ATL managers and staff who care and love all our dog visitors as their own. Being a smaller facility, not only do we know each dog’s name but we also learn to understand his or her individual personalities too. We are proud that we are able to give the dogs one on one attention at times and try to cater to whatever their owners ask from us.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
We have been extremely successful in our ownership of Bark ATL. For us, success is simply the freedom of being able to take care the dogs, our employees and our customers. As pet owners and parents, we know how important it is to someone to care for our loved ones when we are away. Our customers/dog owners trust Bark ATL to keep their dogs safe and happy while in our care – every day we do that is a successful day. Providing employment for our managers and staff to earn a living doing a job they love is also success. We love paying extra bonuses to our employees too when the business does well.
Because we are a small facility, our capacity and growth is limited – and we love being a small boutique facility. We don’t feel that increasing the size of our building to accommodate more dogs is the right model; however, at some point in our future, we may expand our business by opening a 2nd location in another area of Atlanta to spread our 100% cage-free philosophy and keep more dogs happy and safe while their owners are away.
Pricing:
- Daycare rates: $27 for 1st dog, $17 for each additional dog
- Boarding: $42 per night for 1st dog; $32 for each additional dog
- We do accept out-of-state dogs with an additional $5 administration fee for daycare
- Non-refundable prepaid packages are available (expire 1 year from date of purchase):
- 10-day daycare = $225; 30 day = $600
- 15-night boarding = $500
- Grooming: Baths are $30-70 based on size of dog; Nailtrims = $10; Tooth brushing = $10
Contact Info:
- Address: Bark ATL
145 Ralph McGill Blvd NE
Atlanta, GA 30308 - Website: www.barkatl.com
- Phone: 404-688-2275
- Email: info@barkatl.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bark_ATL
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BARKATL
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BARKATL
- Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bark-atl-atlanta
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