Just Food for Dogs: Orders Off the Leash

Irvine’s Just Food for Dogs was already winning pet parents over with its fresh meals packed with protein and nutrients.

Then the coronavirus hit, and the company’s kitchens started cranking out orders in record numbers to keep up with a surge in demand.

“Just as you and I might be thinking more about our health, I think a lot of people are more in tune to their [pet’s] health,” Chief Executive Carey Tischler told the Business Journal.

Since February, the company said it has seen call volume double, and a 400% increase in e-commerce orders compared to the same time frame last year. 

About 75% of the company’s locations—it sells products at stand-alone stores, as well as dedicated spots at Petco locations and in veterinary offices—are currently seeing their best-ever levels of sales, according to reports.

JFFD thinks it can keep up the momentum after the pandemic ends.

Tischler said the company is now selling at a rate of 70 to 80 million meals per year. If all goes to plan, the company aims to more than double capacity for its meals and sell 100 million meals in 2020.

Accelerant, Again 

The 9-year-old company was already on a major growth push after raising $68 million in November; those efforts were detailed in the Dec. 16 print edition of the Business Journal.

The lead investor in last year’s funding was L Catterton; Tischler previously worked for the Greenwich, Conn.-based private equity firm.

The deal brought its total funding to $89 million and provided the capital to launch a series of efforts including new brick-and-mortar locations on the East Coast—which are still moving ahead—and a hiring push to double its workforce to 650 by the end of this year. 

The company now has more than 200 stand-alone and in-store/in-clinic locations.

It also opened a 21,000-square-foot production facility on March 23. 

The Delaware facility “immediately doubles our capacity” to about 60,000 pounds of food daily (stand-alone kitchens produce about 2,000 pounds a day) and decreases shipping time for East Coast customers, said Tischler. 

The original plan for the Delaware facility was to hire 50 employees over a year; the company has already brought on 40 and plans to keep hiring. 

JFFD is also hiring for its master kitchen in Irvine; its website listed about 15 job openings as this story went to press. 

Kitchen Operations

The company has implemented measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

A dog in Hong Kong tested a weak positive for novel coronavirus, but there is no evidence that pets can transmit the virus, nor can it be transmitted through food, the company said in a statement.

Because JFFD uses the same vendors that restaurants use, the company does not anticipate a disruption in its supply chain.

It has enacted social distancing practices and added an overnight shift to stagger staff and meet demand. A third shift isn’t out of the question, added Tischler. 

Curbside pickup, same-day delivery from select locations and no-contact consultations are available to consumers.

According to its website, the company is also offering complimentary supplements with online deliveries and a 50% discount on bulk meals, while supplies last. 

Meals for a healthy 30 pound dog cost around $35 a month more than premium kibble. Individual meals, treats and nutritional supplements range in price.

Coming soon to the JFFD menu: “All Day Breakfast” featuring pork, eggs and vegetables.

Continued Service 

Coronavirus aside, the company plans to continue its market expansion plans into Chicago and Texas. 

Additional cat meals and seasonal specials are on the way, Tischler said, who continues to go into the corporate office in Irvine a few days a week to manage the business.

“We’ve been fortunate, in that our team has stayed safe, and we were deemed an essential business,” said Tischler. “It’s good for the business, and it allows us to continue to deliver on our mission to [create] access to a fresh whole food diet for pets.”