Pet Supply Franchise Pet Evolution Inks Development Deal in Orlando, FL

Press release: Pet Evolution

Pet Evolution, a locally owned, healthy pet supply store dedicated to providing the highest quality food, treats, grooming, self-wash and mobile nail trims, is continuing on its mission to introduce its wellness-focused services to new communities across the country. The brand recently signed a development deal to bring 16-18 new locations to the Greater Orlando area, focusing on Marion, Flagler, Sumter, Lake, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Brevard and Osceola counties.

With six locations currently open in its home state of Minnesota and locations open in Frisco, Texas, and Mill Creek, Washington, now is the perfect time for Pet Evolution to make its debut in Florida. The brand has partnered with experienced franchise owners, Dan Morris and Jeff Zerbe, to lead the expansion efforts. Morris and Zerbe met in 1986 at Pizza Hut, where they both worked their way up the corporate ladder. Morris began at the company as a dishwasher, climbing the ladder to become part owner of 64 Pizza Hut franchised locations in Seattle. When the pair met, they became close and vowed to one day become business partners. The dream finally came true in 2014. After 20 years at Pizza Hut, Morris moved to Orlando and purchased most of the state of Florida as a regional developer for auto repair franchise Honest-1 Auto Care. He eventually brought on Zerbe as a partner after seeing success in the market and helped him relocate to the area. The duo has become experts at opening and supporting franchisees together and now plan to bring their expertise to their new role with Pet Evolution.

“Through our work with Honest-1, we know people love their vehicles – we also believe that people really love their pets,” said Morris. “We wanted to branch into the pet industry for this reason, and after doing our research, we fell in love with the Pet Evolution opportunity and the people involved in the company. Great support is key to getting success in any business, and we feel that with the Pet Evolution team. We’re looking forward to providing the same support to the new Pet Evolution franchisees we’ll be adding to the team in Florida.”

In the coming decades, Orlando’s population is predicted to grow by over 50 percent, and is estimated to be amongst the fastest growing cities by 2060. Offering a mix of parks, trails, and city spots, the warm and vibrant community is an ideal location to own a pet. As of 2020, 56 percent of Florida households own a pet, making it a perfect state to introduce to Pet Evolution’s wide variety of unique services and high-quality nutrition, grooming and supply needs.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jeff and Dan to bring Pet Evolution to Florida,” stated Peter Carlson, president of Pet Evolution Franchising, LLC. “Their years of experience in business together working with franchisees and growing brands makes them the perfect people to spearhead our growth efforts in the Orlando area.”