Market Focus: San Francisco

From parks like Golden Gate, Dolores, and Crissy Field to scenic walks on the Presidio or Embarcadero—there is one thing visitors will notice: San Francisco has gone to the dogs. Hang out at an outdoor café or restaurant, and Fido might be dining next to you. With at least three dog-friendly beaches all within the boundaries of the city, it’s no wonder that Forbes ranked San Francisco No. 1 for dog parks per capita and overall dog-friendliness in 2025. 

The city even made headlines last year in a Wall Street Journal article, “America’s Most Dog-Friendly City Has Had Enough,” which explored whether San Francisco is becoming too dog-friendly and posing a challenge for residents. But rest assured, when it comes to the businesses supporting all the furry families, they have definitely not had enough.

By the Numbers 

Within the greater San Francisco area, including Oakland, Concord, San Rafael, and Vallejo, there are 157 pet specialty store locations. With 75 different companies, there are three more companies than last year. Specifically, looking at San Francisco, there are 37 locations, with 10,050 households per pet store, and a population of 873,965.

 The top three retailers in the market are Pet Food Express, Petco and PetSmart, which together account for 43.3 percent of the market. Pet Food Express has the largest retail footprint, with 36 stores. Having the largest store count as an independent pet retailer is no easy feat. A locally owned store leads the market in only three of the top 30 markets. Other retailers, such as Pet Club, George and Woodlands Pet Food & Treats, comprise 17.8 percent of the San Francisco market, while single-store retailers account for 38.9 percent.

Pet-Focused Businesses 

From a corporate-grooming salon to starting her own, Michelle Saadeh, Owner of Pawber Shop, knows there’s no place like San Francisco. She shared, “They say there are more dogs in San Francisco than kids. While the city is saturated with pet groomers, there really are plenty of dogs to go around, but our experience and quality of care help us stand out. In addition, this city has a long-standing tradition of thriving off of small businesses; I find that the locals want to support us, and many go out of their way to do so. Community support, along with the quality care we strive to provide, has been a really huge factor of our success. While locals are happy to support the small mom and pop shops, they also seek experience and professionalism. We have highly experienced groomers, many with decades under their belt. We mentor and make it a point to seek continued education in our field. We are also happy to go out of our way to answer questions and help educate our clients the best we can, whether it be product recommendations, at-home brushing techniques or helping with grooming-related behaviors. We are also often the first ones to notice a new lump or bump or skin issue, and we were able to do so because of experience and education.” 

Saadeh shared how the company’s name came about. “I just really wanted a barber pole with paw prints on it. After playing around with some words, ‘Pawber’ came out naturally. Our ‘pawber pole’ quickly became a well-known part of our identity.” 

For Daniel Howard, Owner of Shipyard K9 Supplies, his journey into the pet industry was unexpected. An entrepreneur whose businesses were affected by the pandemic, during the same time, his life was introduced to a husky. He remembered, “As I walked her around the Shipyard Neighborhood in San Francisco, I would see a ton of dogs. Everyone had a dog, but the absence of a pet supply store was obvious. It was then that I connected the dots and saw an opportunity to fill a critical community need, leading to the birth of Shipyard K9 Supplies.”

He continued, “What was truly missing in the pet industry, especially in San Francisco, was a boutique pet store with some soul and a deep connection to its community. We aimed to create a space that not only provided essential supplies but also resonated with the Black and Brown communities we serve. The name ‘Shipyard K9 Supplies’ is a tribute to the neighborhood we lived in at the time, an area steeped in personal history. It was an old naval base where our grandparents migrated from New Orleans in the 1950s to work, so the name carries significant meaning and heritage for us.”

“The love for animals is a passion,” discussed Kalied Mousa, Owner of Rowdy & Archie pet shop. “It comes with a purpose. To keep all of our furry friends happy regardless of size. No discrimination! I believe operating a pet shop is one of the coolest jobs someone can have, if you love animals, of course! When it comes to nutrition, you also learn so much about good health for the pets and humans, too. We lost a Pet Food Express in the neighborhood, and that was a big bummer for all of the animals and people in the Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood. We took the opportunity to open up our Rowdy & Archie pet shop.”

Steph Miller, Co-owner of Bernal Beast, has been immersed in the service of dogs for more than 25 years. She earned her certificate through the SF SPCA Academy for dog trainers and put her training to good use in many businesses—SF Puppy Prep, Recess, an off-leash, positive reinforcement dog, as well as the development of a fully fenced acreage in Montara to create a safe space for group dog walkers. When the former owner of Bernal Beast approached her to take over the neighborhood pet supply store, it was an easy yes.

Miller expressed, “I’d lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years, and it was an opportunity to bring decades of hands-on training, behavior work, and community-building into a brick-and-mortar space that could serve pets and their people more holistically.”

She continued, “The name Bernal Beast was already in place when my business partner, Alan Belgard, and I took over—and it was too perfect (and too beloved) to change. The store had built a strong reputation for carrying high-end, organic, and natural pet foods, and we wanted to preserve that trust. What we added was behavioral education. I brought my background in curriculum design, puppy socials, group classes, workshops, and one-on-one consultations directly into the retail environment. We believe a pet supply store can—and should—be an education hub. From day one, our classes have been fully booked, and we now have multiple trainers on staff with rigorous, science-based credentials.”

Lynnet Spiegel, Co-owner of Jeffrey’s Natural Pet Foods, had just obtained her real estate license, but a moment of uncertainty, followed by a sick dog named Butterworth, led her to start making her own dog food. When she saw the difference it made, she knew she was on to something. A connection from a holistic vet led her to get in touch with Jeffrey Dotson, the founder of Jeffrey’s Natural Pet Foods. He was interested in opening a second location, and Lynette has been operating it ever since. 

Spiegel conveyed, “Our company is named after Jeffrey Dotson, the founder. Jeffrey passed away early after my entry into the company. He was the most kind and giving person to his friends and to all the dogs and cats in our community.”

She continued, “We are grateful to work in a community of people who take pet health very seriously and are committed to providing the very best for their animals. Our fresh raw diets have been a natural choice for pet parents all over the San Francisco Bay area.”

A City for the Dogs

Data from Pawlicy Advisor in early 2026 showed San Francisco as one of the top five cities with the highest pet population.

Howard of Shipyard K9 Supplies said it best why San Francisco is so great for pet parents and pet businesses. “One of the most unique and rewarding opportunities in this market is the chance to build genuine relationships with pet parents and their furry companions. Coming to work doesn’t truly feel like work when you’re able to share stories, laugh, and even mourn with a community that understands the unique bond we have with our silly, stinky, slobbering fur-kids. San Francisco is unequivocally a dog city, and our thriving Dogpatch neighborhood has become a fantastic hub. Its vibrant ecosystem of small businesses and friendly residents fosters that ‘old school’ neighborhood feel I cherished growing up in Bernal Heights, creating an ideal environment for our business to flourish.”

The best part about being local? For Mousa of Rowdy & Archie pet shop, it’s “a community that comes together. Pets can be happy, feel at home and get spoiled with treats! It is a small family business. Rowdy & Archie are two local neighborhood dogs that my dad was the biggest fan of.”

He added, “Connecting with each dog has helped us tremendously stay afloat. Being passionate in the nutrition and care for the animals has helped us tremendously! As well as support from the local vendors, we carry in-store samples for dogs to try before purchasing.”

What else keeps customers coming back? Variety! Mousa described, “Having stuff you will rarely find anywhere else, especially in the bigger chain stores, like frozen raw or gently cooked meals and protein sliders and patties. Frozen raw treats, frozen goat milk, frozen yogurt, and ice cream.”

How did Bernal Beast remind locals to come back to the shop after post-pandemic habits had more pet parents shopping online? 

Miller relayed, “Rather than stepping away, I decided to lean in. We launched an e-commerce platform with recurring subscription options designed to compete with larger retailers like Chewy and Amazon. We offer comparable discounts while serving only our local community. We provide free delivery to Bernal Heights residents for orders over $50 and are expanding into surrounding neighborhoods for a small fee. This hybrid model—combining local expertise, community connection, and online convenience—quite literally saved our business. San Francisco pet parents are deeply invested in their animals’ wellbeing. When given the option to shop locally without sacrificing convenience or price, many are eager to support independent businesses. I often encourage other independent retailers to consider a strong subscription-based e-commerce model before closing their doors.”

Is San Francisco too dog-friendly? That’s up for debate, but when it comes to the pet economy, the city shows no signs of slowing down. Backed by strong community loyalty and entrepreneurial spirit, supporting furry families isn’t just business—it’s culture.