Toronto has a new grooming concept for dog owners who want predictable pricing and frequent care. Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique has opened its first Canadian location at CF Shops at Don Mills in North York, introducing a membership-based approach built around unlimited bath and brush visits, along with add-on services and a small boutique retail assortment.
The new store is owned and operated by Toronto entrepreneur Nada Shepherd, who says the model aims to make grooming feel simpler for busy pet parents. “Toronto is a city that truly loves its pets, and we’re excited to offer something new and accessible for local dog owners,” Shepherd said. “Our membership model makes grooming easy, affordable, and stress-free, all in a welcoming, community-focused environment.”
Splash and Dash’s brand promise is straightforward, bring dogs in more often, keep them cleaner between full grooms, and build habits around routine care. The company markets itself as a “safety-first” grooming concept that combines recurring membership revenue with a standardized store format that includes a retail boutique.
A New Tenant for CF Shops at Don Mills
The Toronto location sits within CF Shops at Don Mills, an open-air urban retail environment known for its restaurant mix, weekly programming, and high pedestrian traffic. Cadillac Fairview has been actively promoting Splash and Dash’s opening through the property’s news and store listings, positioning it as a services-focused addition to the tenant roster.
The store’s address is listed as 10 Clock Tower Rd., Unit B001A, at Shops at Don Mills.
Shepherd said the location choice was intentional, and based on how people actually use the centre. In her words, retail has long tracked “bags in hands.” For this concept, she watched for something else. “When I was looking for locations, I was looking for dogs in hands,” Shepherd said, describing repeated visits to assess dog traffic in real time.
Shepherd also pointed to the centre’s community atmosphere, which she compared to an earlier era in Toronto’s neighbourhood retail culture. She added that she valued the security presence and the sense of safety for staff and customers. She referenced having experienced a major retail incident in the past, which shaped her view of what a long-term location needs to feel like.
From Fashion and Teaching to Pet Services
Shepherd’s background is not in grooming. She comes from fashion and entrepreneurship, with experience that spans wholesaling, retailing, and manufacturing. “I’m coming from fashion,” she said, noting she previously operated a label for a decade and once had a shop at Bayview Village. She also said she spent several years teaching business at a university, holds an MBA, and is pursuing a doctoral business degree with a focus on generative AI.
That mix, operations, service, and systems, helped draw her toward franchising as a structure. “This isn’t my first kick at the can,” she said. “No business is guaranteed, but I like the way franchising is run.”
Shepherd said she worked with a franchise broker, Gary Prenevost of FranNet, to evaluate multiple concepts before landing on pet services. She described comparing opportunities in several categories, including wellness, before choosing grooming as the right combination of fundamentals and personal fit. “Their business fundamentals are sound,” she said.
A Franchise Brand with Plans for Canada
Splash and Dash operates as a franchise system, with corporate offices listed in St. Petersburg, Florida. Industry franchise sources describe the concept as having launched in 2009 and expanding via franchising in subsequent years, with the brand’s differentiation tied to its membership model.
Shepherd emphasized that her agreement is a franchise relationship, not a licensing structure. “We’re actually a proper franchise,” she said. She also said the company does not issue master franchise agreements for entire provinces or countries. Instead, it appears to be supporting a market-by-market build.
In Shepherd’s telling, that Canadian build is underway. She said two other Ontario projects are in motion beyond her own store, with one location having a signed lease. She described the franchisor as flexible in the early stages, allowing local operators to refine site selection and timelines as the brand learns the Canadian operating environment.
She also shared an ambitious long-term signal from the U.S. side. “Their ultimate goal is to go public in 2033,” Shepherd said, describing it as one of the factors she evaluated when deciding to proceed.
How the Membership Works at Don Mills
The service pitch starts with frequency. Shepherd said the store offers four membership tiers, priced by dog size, and designed to encourage routine visits rather than infrequent, high-cost grooms.
“We have four categories of membership starting at $59.95 all the way up to $119 for your extra large dogs,” she said. The membership includes “unlimited bath and brushes,” along with key maintenance items. In her words, the plan covers “bath, brush, blowout, nails and ears unlimited.”
For customers who want full-service grooming, Shepherd said the store offers an additional membership option that provides a groom every four weeks at a discounted rate for members. She framed the bath membership as a way to extend the time between more expensive grooms, while keeping the dog in good condition.
Shepherd also described a menu of shampoos and specialty options based on coat type and frequency, including gentler products intended for dogs who come in weekly.
The brand promotes “unlimited” bathing memberships broadly, positioning them as a core part of its model.
Add-Ons, Retail, and a Boutique Assortment
Beyond grooming, the Don Mills store includes a boutique retail component, stocked with treats, toys, and seasonal items. Shepherd said the franchise supplied initial inventory for opening, but she plans to source more local brands over time.
Among the products she highlighted are Bosco and Roxy’s, a London, Ontario-based dog treat company known for decorated cookies and seasonal assortments. She said the store is carrying holiday merchandise including packaged tins, an advent calendar, and candy cane-shaped treats.
Shepherd also mentioned Cycle Dog products made from recycled materials, and said the boutique will evolve as the business grows and customer preferences become clearer.
The broader Splash and Dash format typically blends grooming with boutique retail in a standardized setting, aligning the services business with incremental product sales.
A 1,265-Square-Foot Fit in a High-Traffic Node
Shepherd said the Don Mills store measures just under 1,300 square feet, roughly 1,265 square feet by her estimate. She described its positioning as near familiar anchors, across from Anthropologie and close to The Ten Spot and Tim Hortons, in a section that draws steady foot traffic.
That matters for a grooming concept, since the model relies on repeat visits and habit formation. Shepherd also pointed to the local customer mix, including residents in surrounding condo buildings.
She described seeing large dogs coming from nearby apartments, which she believes reflects a broader shift in urban pet policies and living patterns. “Some of the dogs I’m getting from the surrounding buildings are large dogs,” she said, adding that it surprised her given prior restrictions in rental housing. For larger breeds living in smaller spaces, she argued that grooming becomes a practical need, not just an indulgence, because shedding and coat care can quickly overwhelm an apartment.
Leasing and Construction Partners Behind the Build
For the Don Mills deal, Shepherd said she worked with The Behar Group on leasing, and credited the team for navigating negotiations effectively. She mentioned Adam Henechowicz and Michael Saperia as the brokers involved, with Jordan Snow also being part of the deal.
On construction, she credited Octopus Renovation Group, describing an on-time, on-budget build despite aggressive timelines. She mentioned David Yosef as the owner.
A Launch Offer Aimed at Driving Trials
To accelerate awareness, Shepherd said the store has been running a limited-time promotion tied to social media advertising: $25 grooms for any dog, any size, with the campaign running through December 31. She said the offer has generated strong demand, and that the store may carry momentum into January depending on scheduling.
For a membership-driven model, early trial is critical, since the business depends on converting first-time customers into recurring monthly members.
What This Opening Signals in Canadian Pet Retail
Pet retail in Canada has long been anchored by food, veterinary care, and big-box supply chains. Grooming has existed across formats, from independent operators to large multi-service pet stores. What Splash and Dash is bringing to Toronto is a structure that looks more like a subscription business, where the company tries to normalize frequent visits and reduce the “big bill” feeling associated with full grooms.
It is also arriving at a moment when mixed-use nodes like Don Mills increasingly serve as neighbourhood main streets, not just shopping destinations. Services that produce repeat, routine visits can be valuable to landlords, because they support steady weekly traffic patterns.
Shepherd framed the appeal in human terms, not just financial ones. She said working with dog owners feels different than selling fashion, and she finds the customer interactions more emotionally positive. “It’s a really nice side of humanity,” she said. In a city where pets often function as family members, that sentiment is also part of the business case.
