When the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered offices and sent university students home in March 2020, brothers Kolby and Kaleb Rush found themselves with unexpected time on their hands. Students at Penn State University and Temple University, respectively, when their summer internships disappeared, the pair decided they’d create their own. The result was Saint Rocco’s Treats. The dog treat brand that began as resume fodder has since morphed into a business that’s reached three states and will debut a retail and kitchen concept this fall.
The Rush brothers have ambitious goals just two years after launching. Their plan is to open 15 such kitchens by the end of the decade. Their first is slated to open Oct. 15 at 6026 Easton Road in Pipersville.
Kitchens like the forthcoming Bucks County outpost are what they believe set their concept apart. Longtime dog lovers, both were frustrated by the lack of transparency in the supply chain and fresh ingredients in the pet treat industry.
“We did not see a fresh, local and high-quality product anywhere in the industry,” said Kaleb, who is studying supply chain. “That was the void we wanted to fill.”
Dog treats were a natural fit as both their father and grandfather had industry experience and offered insight and guidance.
To launch in May 2020, they funneled $1,500 into the business and have bootstrapped it until recently. The brothers are part of the current cohort in the Bucks Built Startup Fund, which gave them a $25,000 capital infusion. They already have plans for the funding, which will go toward marketing efforts and perfecting their process to “remove human error,” said Kolby, 23, who studied finance.
Their business model calls for opening local kitchens to fuel growth, rather than working with a centralized co-packer.
“That's the business plan, we believe, to ultimately maintain the total transparency, total freshness, and the highest of quality of treats and consumables that we make,” said Kaleb, 21.
Despite the unconventional approach, Saint Rocco’s – a nod to the patron saint of dogs – is projecting quadrupling its revenue by the end of its third fiscal year in May, though both brothers believe that’s a conservative estimate.
Treats are made with ingredients sourced from restaurant suppliers. The jerky-like options are available in eight flavors – including the best-selling meat lover and cheeseburger – and come in 16- and 32-ounce packages. They retail for around $20 and $35 respectively.
They’ve also introduced a food topper they call sprinkles and venison bones.
The treats are made with fresh meat that’s ground and then hand packed into a loaf pan before being baked. Once cooled, the loaf is dehydrated, giving the treats four months of shelf life, then sliced and packaged.
“It's very much hand crafted,” said Kolby, noting that the process, which varies from the large-scale industry standard of extrusion, allows the proteins to better maintain their nutrition.
“We wanted a treat that literally could be mistaken for a beef jerky,” Kaleb added.
The treats are made with five ingredients – the protein, potato flour, olive oil, seasoning and an additional flavor like sweet potato, honey, peanut butter, or pumpkin.
Sales are a mixture of wholesale and direct to consumer. Presently retail accounts for about 40% of revenue, with the remaining 60% coming from direct-to-consumer sales.
Wholesale has largely been geared toward independent retailers and they’ve expanded beyond pet stores to butchers and even ice cream shops. Saint Rocco’s has a presence in over 115 independent retailers across Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has also entered the New York market. Locally that includes Weavers Way Co-Op in Mt. Airy and Ambler and Landis Supermarkets.
“We're just really trying to flood the tri-state area,” said Kolby, noting the company has about 30 part-time employees.
Initially getting Saint Rocco’s off the ground was a grassroots effort, with the brothers knocking on thousands of doors, sharing their story and offering treat samples. In-person connection remains integral to business, which is part of why their kitchen model is important.
When opened, the storefront will give customers a look at the production process and offer a retail component. “It's just a really transparent way of offering the best quality treats, and hopefully in the near future, food for our furry friends,” Kolby said.
As they grow, the brothers are considering the next segment of business, which might include dog food, noting they’ve been working with a pet nutritionist to formulate recipes. “Give it some time and we'll be able to accomplish all of those sectors within the consumables for dogs,” said Kolby, referencing meal enhancers, treats and food.
What are your goals for your time with the Bucks Built Startup Fund?
Kaleb Rush: I think the biggest thing that I wanted was some acceptance from real industry professionals, your CEOs, different angel investors. Being able to hear whether it's positive feedback or negative feedback... I really learn a lot from other people.
Are you seeking other funding?
Kolby Rush: No. At this time, there are other sources of funding that we're more interested in that don't involve giving up any further equity. We'll exhaust those options before we think about a Series A.
Kaleb Rush: I'm going into my senior year at Temple University. They do an amazing job for entrepreneurs with so many different opportunities to get involved with. I am pretty hands on with StartupTree, which is an opportunity to speak with investors, angel investors, different CEOs. There are three competitions at Temple, one of them being Be Your Own Boss Bowl. You can win up to $75,000. Those are things that we're really going to pursue, try to win money just through our business plan and sharing the value of our company to date.
