Business & Tech
Simple Idea Spurs Booming St. Louis Park Business
Keith and Trycia Miller opened their own doggie daycare called Pampered Pooch Playground—with no help from a franchise.
Four years ago Keith and Trycia Miller decided they wanted to get out of the corporate world. Trycia has a degree in nutrition and Keith has a background in radio.
“The 9-5 world just wasn’t for us, so we started tossing around business ideas,” Keith Miller said. “We spent a lot of time at dog parks and having fun with our dog, Roxy, and one day a business idea just clicked.”
Their plan was to open a doggie daycare. After a year of research, the couple cut their corporate ties and opened Pampered Pooch Playground.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“I remember when we first started I called one of our employees and said, ‘You’ve got to come in and help we have nine dogs in today,’” Keith Miller said. “We laugh at that now, because on a daily basis we have at least 75 dogs here.”
For the last two years, Pampered Pooch Playground has been at capacity just about everyday.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“We had no idea that we would have this kind of success,” Keith Miller said. “We really didn’t know what to expect, but I think the community really appreciates a locally owned company like ours.”
“It’s great being our own bosses,” Trycia Miller added. “This fits us so much better than the corporate world.”
And what's it like working with a spouse?
“We joke around because we see each other all day and then we get home to the dinner and table and say, 'What should we talk about? You already know about my day,' Trycia Miller said. “In all seriousness, it’s great working together—we get to share the day’s success stories.”
When the duo isn’t working, Keith admits he is addicted to his iPhone, saying he "can’t live without it.”
Trycia typically hits a yoga class. “That is my getaway,” she added.
When a yoga class won’t do, the two love to travel and just returned from trips to New York City and Italy.
“We love to see new things, and we look forward to traveling more in the future,” Keith Miller said.
As for the future of the business, the Miller’s have decided to stick with just one daycare facility. They worry opening another daycare will begin to compromise the quality of care, something the couple isn't willing to sacrifice.
But that doesn't mean this business couple is taking it easy. Earlier this year, they opened another dog care business in St. Louis Park— dog wash.