Some Like It Hot - But Not Us! š„µ
- Devon Brown
- Jun 23
- 5 min read
āļø June Updates from the Zoomies Pack šļø
My whole life I have always looked forward to the summer. It is my favorite season. The long, sunny days - the heat. I could sit in the direct sun for hours, happy as a clam. But I swear something in my biology changed when I turned 32 because all of a sudden, I am now much happier sitting in the shade, better yet, inside in the air-conditioning. I used to make fun of my husband for preferring our cold, dark basement to going outside.
Now I find myself joining his ranks. Am I becoming a vampire?
Ā
This new season of life has got me thinking about the all-season potential of an indoor dog park. I always thought of Zoomies' strongest selling point as offering respite from the frigid winters and muddy rainy seasons - but now I see how great an indoor dog park would be on the scorching hot days too. Our girls quickly turn into hotdogs when it's 80 degrees or more outside so forget about playing fetch! Right now, it's the beach, or bust.
If only there was another option....š
Ā
Okay I'll step off the soap box for now. Scroll on for updates!

šĀ Weāre Popping Up All Summer
While we work on getting our doors open, weāre doing the low-budget, boots-on-the-ground thing: hosting events, tabling at dog parks around the city, and hanging out at bars and breweries that welcome pups.
Weāll be doing this all summer longāItās our way of meeting future members, spreading the word, and doing some good while weāre at it.
We've already got a few events under our belt - Anti-Cruelty's Bark! on May 31st, Horner Dog Park on June 8th, and Midwest Coast Brewing on June 15th were amazing - and it has been SO great getting out and meeting y'all.
Ā
At every event, weāll be raffling off a free month of Zoomies, so swing by and take a dance with lady luck š
Ā
Here is what is up next on the docket:
Ā
š¾Ā Sunday, June 30 ā Montrose Dog Beach
Weāll be hanging out at Chicago's most popular dog beach! No ticket needed, just bring your dog and stop by our table for some games, prizes, swag and small talk. Be on the lookout for Zoomies banners!
š¾ Sunday, July 20 ā Fundraiser at Ludlow Liquors
Weāre teaming up with SAYv Animal OrganizationĀ again for another dog-friendly event, this time at Ludlow Liquors. SAYv is a volunteer-run, foster-based rescue that has saved over 1,500 animals since 2021. Come grab a drink, meet some great people, and help us support a rescue doing life-changing work.
$20 ticket (includes your first drink)
Proceeds will be donated to SAYv Animal Organization
On-leash dogs welcome!
Weāll keep the events calendarĀ updated as we add more stops. And if you know of any dog-friendly places we should be popping up, shoot me a noteāweāre open to ideas.
š Location Update: Progress, Not Perfection
When I (re)started working on Zoomies last fall, I wanted to go BIG. Giant space, full buildout, all the bells and whistles. And I still do. But over time, Iāve come to appreciate the value of starting a little more modestlyāgiving ourselves room to learn, tweak, and make a few less expensive mistakes before cannonballing all the way in. So, earlier this spring, I thought "let's just start small"ālike, really small. Letās get a pop-up going so we can get somethingĀ freaking open already.
Ā
Butāand I hope Iām not giving you whiplash hereāas I started digging into the logistics of a short-term pop-up, it became clear: even the most stripped-down version of Zoomies still requires a serious start up cost. Weāre talking multiple six figures just to make a space legal, functional, and halfway inviting. The more I thought about it, the less comfortable I felt with the idea of pouring that much effort and capital into something that would ultimately feel temporaryāor worse, underwhelming.
Ā
So we've landed on what we believe is an ideal middle ground. Not the full flagship just yet, but not a one-and-done pop-up either. Weāre aiming for a lean, semi-permanent setup that we can launch this winter and expand over time.
And with that, weāre confident enough with our progress to share the two locations weāre seriously pursuing in Avondale:
š¢ 2700 N CampbellĀ
š¢ 2950 N Western
Theyāre just a few blocks apart, but offer different possibilities.
Western is the one weāve had our eye on since February and have mentioned in past newslettersāitās bigger, more flexible, and would help us deliver the indoor/outdoor experience weāve always envisioned. But, Campbell (right next door to Maplewood Brewery!) is likely the faster route to getting something open this winter.
Ā
There is a third property that weāre in early conversations on and it checks a lot of boxes. Itās not technically on the market, so it may be more challengingāand take longerāto lock down a deal. If it does come together though, it would be super sweet!
Ā
Weāre weighing all the factors: space, cost, timeline, landlord partnership, but as you can tell, weāre closer than ever to securing a space. As soon as we do, weāll be sharing floor plans, early design concepts, and more about how you can help shape the space from day one. Stay tuned.
šŖĀ Funding Update: Weāre Close.
When we first started fundraising, our goal reflected the cost of launching the full flagship version of Zoomies. Now that weāre focused on a leaner, smarter startup location, our goal is $500Kāenough to get a great space open this winter with the key features we need to make Zoomies a success. Of course, any funding beyond that helps reduce risk, gives us more flexibility in our buildout, and allows us to create an even better first experience for you and your dogs.
Ā
Weāre well into the raise and actively working to close the remaining gap.
Ā
To help get us across the finish line, weāre planning on pre-selling memberships, potentially via a crowdfunding campaign. And because "fun" is one of our core values, we'll also be including some genuinely cool perks: naming rights inside the park, exclusive Zoomies swag, and other surprises that we can't wait to share with you.
Ā
If you want access to the sweetest perks before the general public, sign up for the Zoomies VIP ClubĀ for just $1. This has already been a huge needle-mover when showing investors how passionate Chicago is about this project, thank you all so much for your support.
Our VIPs will be the first to know when presales go liveāand the only ones eligible for the steepest discounts on pre-sale memberships, not to mention a personal invitation to our VIP-only pre-launch party before our grand opening. Check out the link above to learn more!
Ā
We are also still welcoming a small number of private investors interested in supporting Zoomies at a higher levelātypically between $50K and $200K. If thatās you (or someone you know), reply to this email and letās chat!
Ā
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for cheering us on. I canāt wait to share more soon.
Devon and the Zoomies Pack
Comments