Happy Cat expands operations in Alexandria, VA

Expansion is in the air…

It’s a new year, and here at Happy Cat Hotel, we are wasting no time spreading the feline love in 2023! We’re starting this year right, as our first noncorporate-owned franchise location in Alexandria, VA – has some exciting news to share. Happy Cat franchise owners Leanne McRoberts and Jackie Warbis are purrrring with excitement to share that they will soon be expanding their operation to include two new locations.

The flagship location in Alexandria is a 20-room luxury feline hotel and spa where local kitties go to be loved on, socialized, groomed, and experience the benefits of some serious playtime. With this new addition, three locations will now be available to cat owners in the greater DC-metro area.

Jackie and Leanne

The path hasn’t always been easy for the Alexandria, VA-based Happy Cat franchise owners. Leanne McRoberts and Jackie Warbis were baptized by fire, opening their small startup during the worst of the Covid era. But these two have overcome those obstacles and, along the way, have earned some serious bragging rights. The ownership pair stuck it out, building and maintaining a new business venture when many other small businesses were folding left and right.

McRoberts and Warbis are well aware of their newfound entrepreneurial fortune. Realizing their dream had finally become a reality was a poignant moment for this ownership duo. Leanne recently shared her thoughts on those early days, saying, “I came to realize that we were doing this – taking care of cats, covering bills, and employing people.” That’s right – when millions of U.S. workers were voluntarily resigning to look for greener pastures, Happy Cat Alexandria was on a hiring spree! In retrospect, it’s all quite an impressive accomplishment, especially amid a global pandemic.

As Leanne and Jackie can relate, launching a small business is always an adventure. But thanks to the training and ongoing support provided by Happy Cat, franchisees are destined to succeed. It’s a quintessential aspect of our business model at Happy Cat, and one we don’t take lightly.

franchisee support points

On a related note, our New Year’s resolutions are now in full effect at Happy Cat – including goals we’d like to share. But first…a look back at last year’s accomplishments.

In 2022, Happy Cat Franchising set a goal of opening at least five new franchise locations. Well, we achieved that goal – with a little room to spare. In fact, counting the two additional locations planned for the DC-metro area, Happy Cat secured a total of 10 new franchise locations in 2022!

As for 2023, Happy Cat is again aiming for another ten new openings. And we’re quite confident we’ll make it happen. Happy Cat has prioritized quality and affordability in our franchise model since day one – and will continue to do so. We promise to share the good news of upcoming deal announcements once all the details have been worked out. Then you can find out if a Happy Cat Hotel is coming to your area. If not, you may want to consider opening one yourself!

location map

As we all know, cat lovers are aplenty, and increasingly beginning to see the value in exposing their felines to a stimulating and fun environment like the Happy Cat Hotel & Spa. Cats, formerly perceived to be solitary animals, are fast becoming known as social animals. The positive effect of regular social interaction plays a huge part in maintaining their disposition as happy and well-balanced household members. And we at Happy Cat are honored to continue spreading the message that cats need more interaction than we, as a society, once thought.

Leaping into small business ownership can be intimidating. But if you decide to investigate the Happy Cat franchise opportunity, know this – a small army of support will always be behind you the entire way. To find more information and learn about Happy Cat ownership, including how to get started, visit our franchising website by following this link. We’ll be waiting patiently on the other end to help you navigate your journey into feline-friendly franchise ownership!

That’s all for now, but we insist that you stay in touch, please! To connect with Happy Cat Hotel Franchising, you can follow and like us on Facebook, watch our hilarious kitty vids on Tik Tok, connect with us on LinkedIn, and follow our latest feline feed on Instagram. And last but not least, don’t forget to listen to the Happy Cat Hotel podcast!