Skiptown

What Skiptown does

Skiptown (legal name: Skipper Pets, Inc., incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a tech-enabled pet care operator founded in 2020 that delivers dog daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, at-home dog walking, and an experiential off-leash Dog Bar & Park through corporate-owned facilities and a recently launched franchise program. The company runs three corporate locations in Charlotte (NC), Atlanta (GA), and Denver (CO), serving urban and suburban dog owners as its primary B2C segment and prospective franchisees as its secondary B2B segment. Skiptown operates through multiple wholly-owned North Carolina LLC subsidiaries (Skipper Bar Ops, Skipper Care CLT, Skipper Social CLT, Skipper Social Bar Ops, and Skiptown Franchising). Cumulative scale includes 50,000+ dogs served and 8,000+ memberships as of mid-2026.

Name

Skiptown

Legal name

Skipper Pets, Inc.

Website

https://skiptown.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Skiptown is a Charlotte-based, tech-enabled pet care operator founded in 2020 that runs three corporate facilities (Charlotte, Atlanta, Denver) offering dog daycare, boarding, grooming, walking, and a Dog Bar & Park, and is scaling nationally via a franchise program launched October 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Care Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Cage-Free / Open-Play Dog Daycare (HSANAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dog Daycare with Boarding Add-On (Daycare + Overnight) (HSANAFAM), Scheduled Pick-Up/Drop-Off (Recurring Routes) (HSANAIAB)

Keywords

• Dog daycare services
• Pet boarding services
• Dog grooming services
• Pet care franchise
• Off-leash dog park

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Recurring membership plans (Basic free; Social Club ~$250/yr or $25/mo; Pet Care; VIP ~$450/yr or $55/mo; PupCare) that auto-renew, with add-on pricing per additional dog. Memberships include bar/park access, grooming discounts, enrichment credits, and priority booking.
2. Daycare, Boarding, and Grooming Services: Per-visit and bundled transactional revenue from dog daycare, overnight boarding, and grooming (Bath & Blow Out, Touch Up, Cut & Style) at all locations, plus add-on enrichments (CBD treats, cuddle time, play time, seasonal photos) and boarding food/medication fees.
3. Dog Walking and Cat Care (Home Services): Non-refundable credit bundles (5/15/30/50 packs) for 20-, 40-, and 60-minute home visits; $15 single visits and discounted per-visit pricing down to $15/visit in the 50-pack, available only in Charlotte.
4. Franchise Sales: Initial franchise fee of $45,000 plus expected initial facility investment of $880,000-$1,700,000 per unit; total estimated initial investment $904,679-$1,688,231; liquid capital $400K and net worth $1M required. Ongoing royalties/fees implied by the franchise model.
5. Bar & Park Food and Beverage Sales: On-site bar & park revenue from craft cocktails, beer, coffee, mocktails, food, and event space (table reservations $75/3 hrs for 8 dogs, event space $300/3 hrs for 20 dogs), plus merchandise and gift cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Skiptown operates tech-enabled pet care facilities offering dog daycare, overnight boarding, full-service grooming, at-home dog walking, and an off-leash dog bar & park where dogs socialize while owners enjoy food and drinks. All services are booked and managed through the Skiptown mobile app, with membership plans providing recurring access to daycare, boarding, grooming discounts, and bar/park amenities. The same operating system (SkipOS) and brand playbook are licensed to franchisees for multi-state expansion.

Product overview

Skiptown operates a single integrated pet-care brand delivered through a core services portfolio — Dog Daycare, Dog Boarding, Dog Grooming, Dog Walking, and the experiential Dog Bar & Park — all bookable through the Skiptown Mobile App. The Skiptown Membership Plans (Basic, Social Club, VIP, Pet Care, PupCare) sit on top of these services as subscription tiers, and the entire operation runs on Skiptown's proprietary SkipOS platform. SkipOS, upgraded in May 2026, also underpins the Skiptown Franchising Program launched in October 2025, through which franchisees replicate the same service bundle and tech stack in new markets (Texas in April 2026, Colorado in June 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SkipOS: Skiptown's proprietary technology platform designed to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience through seamless check-ins, real-time updates, and consistent communication. Upgraded and unveiled in May 2026.

Products and services

• Dog Daycare Full-day supervised group dog daycare offered at Skiptown facilities in Charlotte, Atlanta, and Denver, including a Compatibility Day playgroup assessment, curbside dropoff, and twice-daily photo updates for VIP/Pet Care members. Available via membership plans and bundled daycare packages; designed for urban and suburban dog owners seeking structured socialization and exercise during workdays.
• Dog Boarding Overnight dog boarding at Skiptown's climate-controlled facilities with attentive staff, ample playtime, daily photo updates, and add-on options such as food and medication. Targeted at dog owners seeking trusted, transparent boarding for short or extended stays.
• Dog Grooming Professional dog grooming at Skiptown locations featuring Bath & Blow Out ($35-$85), Touch Up ($40-$80), and Cut & Style ($70-$105) priced by breed size (X-Small through X-Large), with add-ons such as nail filing/polish, shed-control treatment, teeth cleaning, premium shampoos, ear/face cleaning, and paw treatments. Designed for dog owners seeking routine or full-groom services bundled into a single membership-friendly destination.
• Dog Walking (Home Services) At-home dog walking and cat care available in Charlotte only, offered as 20-, 40-, and 60-minute visits with real-time arrival notifications, GPS-mapped walk routes, and end-of-visit photo summaries. Sold via non-refundable credit bundles (5/15/30/50 packs) with same-day availability, plus ancillary services such as mail collection and plant watering.
• Dog Bar & Park Off-leash indoor and outdoor dog park paired with a human bar and lounge serving craft cocktails, beer, coffee, mocktails, and food. Includes event space rentals (table reservations $75/3 hrs for 8 dogs; event space $300/3 hrs for 20 dogs), breed meet-ups, and full park buyouts. Food and beverage orders are placed via the Toast POS online portal.
• Skiptown Franchising Program Franchise program launched October 15, 2025 enabling entrepreneurs to operate Skiptown dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and bar/park facilities in target U.S. states (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Carolinas). Requires $45,000 initial franchise fee, $880,000-$1,700,000 expected facility investment, $400,000 liquid capital, and $1,000,000 net worth, with a veteran and first responder discount available. First franchise agreements signed in Texas (April 2026) and a five-unit agreement in Colorado (June 2026).

Quantifiable outcome

• 40%+ year-over-year revenue growth in 2026
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered secondary community partner, supporting pr partner, core operating entity and flagship franchise partner.

• Time Out Youthsecondary community partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCharlotte-based LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit serving as Skiptown's local Pride community partner. 100% of proceeds from Skiptown's Paws Up for Pride photo enrichment and a portion of Love Unleashed merchandise sales in the Charlotte market are donated to Time Out Youth.
• Lost and Found Youthsecondary community partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAtlanta-based LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit serving as Skiptown's local Pride community partner. Receives 100% of proceeds from Paws Up for Pride photo enrichment and a portion of Love Unleashed merchandise sales in the Atlanta market.
• The Center on Colfaxsecondary community partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDenver-based LGBTQ+ organization (LGBTQ Colorado) serving as Skiptown's local Pride community partner. Receives 100% of proceeds from Paws Up for Pride photo enrichment and a portion of Love Unleashed merchandise sales in the Denver market.
• Franchise Elevator PR (Liam Johnson)supporting pr partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerExternal PR agency supporting Skiptown's franchise development communications, listed as media contact ([email protected]) on the June 2026 Love Unleashed press release.
• Skipper Bar Ops, LLC (Skiptown subsidiary)core operating entityOthersNorth Carolina limited liability company wholly owned by Skipper Pets, Inc., responsible for the sale of alcohol for on-site human consumption at Skiptown facilities.
• Skipper Care CLT, LLC (Skiptown subsidiary)core operating entityOthersNorth Carolina limited liability company wholly owned by Skipper Pets, Inc., responsible for in-home pet care, dog walking, grooming, behavioral training, boarding, and pet transportation services.
• Skipper Social CLT, LLC (Skiptown subsidiary)core operating entityOthersNorth Carolina limited liability company wholly owned by Skipper Pets, Inc., responsible for off-leash facility and dog park access, grooming tool access, and sale of food/treats for on-site human consumption.
• Colorado multi-unit franchisee (unnamed entrepreneur)flagship franchise partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSigned a five-unit Skiptown franchise agreement in Colorado with plans to open locations in the Denver metro area; described as a longtime customer of the brand with industry experience in sales and business development.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pet Supplies Plus: National franchised pet retail and grooming chain that acquired Wag N' Wash in 2021; broader incumbent offering grooming and pet supplies that overlaps with Skiptown's grooming service line.
• Rover: Large online marketplace for dog walking, boarding, and sitting; overlaps with Skiptown's dog walking and in-home services but uses a gig-network model rather than owned/franchised facilities.
• Wag!: On-demand dog walking and pet care platform; competes with Skiptown's at-home dog walking service in Charlotte and other markets but operates a marketplace rather than physical locations.

Direct peers

• K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel: Upscale franchised dog boarding, daycare, and spa operator targeting premium pet parents — directly competes for the same high-end urban/suburban segment Skiptown courts with its Bar & Park concept.
• Dogtopia: Large franchised dog daycare, boarding, and spa chain with several hundred North American locations; competes head-to-head on the daycare-led, multi-service pet care model Skiptown is franchising.
• PetSuites of America: Franchised pet resort and daycare chain with overnight boarding, daycare, grooming, and training; mirrors Skiptown's all-in-one service menu under a multi-location franchise system.
• Camp Bow Wow: Premier franchised dog daycare, boarding, and grooming chain with hundreds of U.S. locations; the closest direct franchise competitor to Skiptown's daycare/boarding/grooming model. Notably referenced by Skiptown's own Head of Franchise Development as a former employer.
• Wag N' Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming: Tech-enabled franchised pet care and grooming concept offering self-wash, grooming, and retail; directly comparable franchise model and overlapping customer base, and Skiptown's Head of Marketing previously served as Wag N' Wash President.

Emerging players

• Dog Bar (various): Concept-level peer operating off-leash dog parks paired with a bar for humans; competes with Skiptown's dog bar & park experiential offering as a niche emerging format.

Others

• BarkBox / Bark: DTC pet subscription and digital health brand serving the same premium urban pet-parent demographic Skiptown targets; not a service competitor but an adjacent brand competing for share of wallet and brand affinity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skiptownclt
• Facebookfacebook.com/skiptownHQ

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skiptown