Chloe and George Andrade were born and raised in the Hobby area. When the sister and brother team decided to go into business together to pursue their passion for helping animals, they knew two things: They wanted to open a franchise of Camp Bow Wow and they wanted to open it where they had grown up.
“We grew up off of Telephone Road, this is our neighborhood, and we knew that south Houston is an amazing area,” Chloe Andrade said.
The siblings decided to go into a canine care business and loved Camp Bow Wow as a brand, so they negotiated to open a franchise at 7803 Hansen Road. The parent company has 175 locations across the country.
It was important to Chloe and George that their doggy boarding business be near Hobby Airport so that it would be convenient for travelers to drop off and pick up their dogs before and after airplane trips.
“There weren’t many options before and now we’re getting a lot of customers who are super excited that we’re on the way to the airport,” Chloe said. “We’re also getting a lot of people who are driving downtown daily and just want to board their dogs for the day. We wanted to be close to the highway and close to the airport.”
Chloe grew up going to Cornelius Elementary and went to University of Houston. George, who is eight years older, went to Baylor and works in Dallas.
“He understands the financials and knows how to manage money, and he’s always wanted to open his own business,” she said. “And I’m more social and I’m the biggest animal lover. If I could pick up every stray, I would. So, this was the perfect thing.”
Chloe said that because they were raised in the Hobby area, she and her brother saw possibilities that other franchisees may have overlooked when they looked at the District.
“Someone from a higher-income neighborhood may have looked at the area and decided against it, but we see a lot of opportunity here,” she said. “Camp Bow Wow is a premier franchise and it’s usually offered in high-class areas, but we have so many pet parents who are happy that we’re here now and we’re an option for them. We’re seeing real benefits.”
One of those benefits, she noted, was how far their dollars went when it came to acquiring property in the area. The siblings were able to buy a 14,500-square-foot building and customize the camp to be exactly what they wanted.
“We got a lot for what we paid, and we were able to build a beautiful facility,” she said. “And we still have half the building untouched for whatever we want to do with it.”
Camp Bow Wow is open for business with a grand opening and full services planned soon.
www.campbowwow.com/houston-
— by Brian Rogers
