🏠 Lease Signed! 📃(Terms & Conditions Apply)

Hello friends! Long time, no newsletter!

We've been quiet since July, but for good reason – we've been navigating some major developments and we're ready to talk about them.

When we got our SBA loan approved, we had a building lined up on Western Ave. – months of negotiations, site planning, the works. We were ready to move forward immediately.

Then the landlord pulled out. After all that back-and-forth, they found another tenant they considered less risky. I won't sugarcoat it – that sucked. A lot. It set us back about two months and sent us back to square one on the real estate search.

But wallowing doesn't find you a new building, so I got back out there – scouring listings, driving up and down the streets, pulling on everyone in my network. And sometimes what feels like a setback actually leads you to something better.

So with that in mind, drumroll please....🥁

Last week, we signed a lease for Zoomies' first location. 🎉

After months of searching and setbacks, we've reached another major milestone. And here's the crazy part - we went from first touring the building to a signed lease in just 6 weeks. That's got to be some kind of record. And a huge reason things moved so quickly was because the landlord loves our concept and wanted to make it happen. How freaking awesome is that? AND the building is incredible. It has plenty of space for dogs to run and play, is infused with absolutely stunning character, and is in a killer location in Avondale that puts us right where Chicago's dog-loving community can find us. One year has passed since I left corporate to make this dream a reality, and this feels like a huge breakthrough.

Now, you're probably wondering why I'm not sharing the address yet. There’s one small hurdle we must overcome: Our building sits within a liquor moratorium – What the heck is a liquor moratorium, you may be asking? It's a delightfully bureaucratic (😂) city policy from the late '80s that freezes new liquor licenses in certain areas. Introduced under Mayor Richard M. Daley, these moratoriums were intended to curb the fast-growing bar scene - at the time the city had nearly twice as many taverns as today - and keep the peace for local residents. Generally, once a moratorium is put in place, it stays there until someone asks to have it removed. For context, the moratorium over our building has been in place for 11 years! So until we get it lifted, we're keeping the location under wraps.

We're already actively partnering with the local Alderman's office. They've reviewed our proposal formally requesting the lift and the gears are turning on their internal processes – we’re expecting good news within the next 60 days. It’s worth noting this is pretty standard practice for a hospitality business in Chicago– it's all just part of the dance to bring something new to a neighborhood. And worst case scenario, we can walk away from the lease if we don't get the support we need, so we're not stuck if this doesn't work out.

Here's why I'm confident we'll be successful though: Zoomies isn't just another (dog) bar. We're creating a genuine community asset – a place where dog parents can socialize, where local businesses and non-profits can host events, and where the neighborhood gets a unique gathering space. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive so far, and that enthusiasm matters when it comes to municipal approvals.

If we get the green light (and I believe we will), Zoomies is on track to open Spring/Summer 2026.

Once we have approval to proceed, we'll be hosting preview events at the space – think community meet-and-greets, contractor showcases, maybe even some pop-up adoption events. Stay tuned for those announcements!

One more thing: Now that the major pieces are in place, we're raising working capital to round out our financing alongside the SBA loan. This is your chance to get in early and own a piece of what we're building – starting with Chicago's first indoor dog park + bar, but definitely not ending there. If you know someone who'd want to jump on board, feel free to make an introduction!

P.S. – Have you heard the exciting local news?

Speaking of progress, Chicago is finally catching up to dog-friendly cities everywhere. Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward) just proposed an ordinance that would let restaurants welcome leashed dogs both indoors and outdoors.

If passed, establishments could simply post signage indicating they're dog-friendly, without worrying about fines or surprise health inspections. Read more in the Chicago Sun-Times here.

It's exactly the kind of forward-thinking policy that makes Chicago an even better place for dogs and their humans. And it's great timing for businesses like ours!

Thank you as always for your support and for following along with the journey. More soon!

- Devon and the Zoomies Pack