Our Wild Birds Unlimited store in Albuquerque, NM has new owners, Matt and Ken Bunkowski! Matt and Ken have been part of the WBU flock since 2021 when they purchased their first WBU store in Sante Fe, NM. They said, “We’ve loved owning the Santa Fe store so much these past two and a half years we […]
A BIG congratulations to Amy Legg and Kellie Watts on purchasing their 9th Wild Birds Unlimited store! Amy and Kellie have recently taken ownership of the WBU store in St. Louis, MO. We are so appreciative of the joy that Amy and Kellie share in our world and we are thankful to have such amazing […]
Say hello to the new owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Hixson, TN, Karen! Welcome to the WBU flock!
When it comes to entrepreneurship and owning a franchise, women are making incredible strides and shattering stereotypes. In recent years, women have been stepping into franchise ownership roles with confidence, determination, and unmatched skills. As a result, they have been achieving remarkable success and leaving a lasting impact in the world of business. One of […]
Wild Birds Unlimited is honored to be recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top Recession- Proof Franchise! Wild Birds Unlimited is a franchise that specializes in providing high-quality bird food, bird feeders, and other bird-related products to customers across the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981, the company has since grown to become […]
We are so happy to welcome our newest franchisees, Michelle Foster and Douglas Shaw! They will be opening a new Wild Birds Unlimited store in Woodbury, MN. Michelle and Doug said, “We are thrilled to be part of the Wild Birds Unlimited family and looking forward to opening our store in Woodbury, Minnesota later this […]
On March 9, 2023, Abbie Pressley, owner of the Greenville, SC Wild Birds Unlimited store, was granted the South Carolina Order of the Silver Crescent. The Order of the Silver Crescent is the State of South Carolina’s most prestigious service award recognizing a remarkable achievement or action, an individual’s dedicated community service or volunteerism. The […]
Brands like Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) know the secret to success. It’s all about creating a customer-centric culture. And the best way to keep your customers front and center and ensure you’re providing the experiences they expect is pretty simple—just ask them. This is exactly what WBU does on a daily basis. With its customer […]
Say hello to our newest Wild Birds Unlimited FSC team member, Dusty! Dusty comes from J Crew and is now a business coach here at WBU. A previous client of his sent him amazing cookies with beautifully hand painted birds on them to wish him luck here at WBU. We are so excited to have […]
Wild Birds Unlimited is thrilled to be ranked in Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 for Franchisee Satisfaction Award!
Wild Birds Unlimited is honored to be mentioned as part of Entrepreneur Franchise 500!
The Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Support Center gathered to celebrate the holidays! Thank you to Jim and Nancy Carpenter for your continued support and dedication to our team, thank you to all FSC staff for all you do every day to support our franchisees, and thank you to our amazing franchisees! We wish you all a […]
A group of our wonderful FSC staff went on the Mistletoe Tour to local Wild Birds Unlimited stores jingling joy! The Mistletoe Tour has been a tradition for over 10 years and this was the first year that our staff was able to resume the tour following the pandemic. This amazing tradition brings so much […]
Our wonderful Oakdale, NY WBU owner Brooke Ramirez will be opening her second store! Brooke will be opening a new Wild Birds Unlimited store in East Setauket, NY! Brooke has been such a fantastic addition to the WBU team and we are thrilled that she is expanding with WBU!
The Elmira, NY Wild Birds Unlimited store has new owners, Lorraine Treacy and family! This store was originally opened in 2001 and has most recently been owned by Chris Keelty. Lorraine said, “I’m very excited the WBU store in Elmira will live on and can’t wait to meet all bird enthusiasts!” We are very thrilled […]
Congratulations to our new London, ON Wild Birds Unlimited owners, Cathy and Lance! This store was originally opened back in 1994 by Marilyn and Norm Morton. Cathy said, “My family tells me I have been training my whole life for this. I’m so excited to begin this adventure with the amazing staff and customers at WBU […]
Matt Kosty, our amazing Wild Birds Unlimited Store Owner of both the Fayetteville, NY WBU store and the Camillus, NY WBU store, has successfully purchased the Saratoga Springs, NY store! We are so excited for Matt to continue expanding with WBU!
Our Wild Birds Unlimited store in Brookfield, WI has new owners! We are so excited to welcome Tom and Erika to the WBU team! Tom said, “We are so excited to be joining the Wild Birds Unlimited Flock. We have been longtime customers of Wild Birds Unlimited and often talked about how fun it would […]
Congratulations to Brooke Thomsen and Thomas Halvorson on the purchase of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Wenatchee, WA! They purchased the store from Patrick and Mabel Bodell who opened the store in 2017. Brooke said, “It’s exciting and truly an honor to be invited to join the flock. WBU of Wenatchee has been my […]
Our Franchise Development team just returned from the Franchise Leadership and Development Conference this past week. This is a conference that is co-produced by Franchise Update Media and the International Franchise Association. We have attended this annual conference for many years. Our Director of Franchise Development, Seth Holan did an amazing job as a panelist […]
We are so happy to announce that John and Kathy Haigh have purchased their 2nd Wild Birds Unlimited store in Bozeman, MT! John and Kathy also own the WBU store in Billings, MT. Kathy said, “We’re anxious to continue bringing people and nature together in the Gallatin Valley and Southwest region. You may not see […]
We are so happy to welcome our newest franchisees, Megan Kimbrell and Joe Baca! They will be opening a new Wild Birds Unlimited store in Wichita, KS. Megan and Joe said, “We are so excited to open a WBU store in Wichita since our city is currently underserved as far as high quality bird seed […]
Wild Birds Unlimited is honored to be ranked in the Franchise Times Top 500!
Congratulations to Dean and Tina Seifert on the purchase of their 4th Wild Birds Unlimited store in Arvada, CO! Dean and Tina joined the WBU team in 2020 when they purchased the WBU store in Denver, CO. The Seifert’s always knew that they wanted to be multi-unit owners and in February 2021, they purchased two […]
A very big congratulations to Susan Maranhao, as she has taken ownership of her 2nd Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Woburn, MA. Susan joined the WBU family back in 1990 when she purchased her first store in Sudbury, MA. Susan purchased the store from Dawna Blum who has owned the store since 2017. Susan said, […]
We are excited to announce that Eric and Tammy Brady have successfully purchased the Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Memphis, TN! They purchased the store from Ben and Debbie Bruce who have owned the store since 1996. Eric and Tammy said, “We are so excited to join the flock and can’t wait to start this […]
Last Wednesday was a big day for us here in the Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Development department when we got word that two of our newest WBU franchise store owners got their SBA-backed financing journey across the finish line and deposited their funds into their bank accounts. If you have ever heard about how challenging […]
The Wild Birds Unlimited Native Pollinator Meadow, the largest designed pollinator meadow in the city of Indianapolis, opened to the public at Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park yesterday evening. The meadow is home to over 100 species of plants to support local bees, insects, migratory birds, and monarch butterflies. The Meadow was designed […]
We have exciting news to share! Wild Birds Unlimited has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant thousands of trees across North America as part of our initiative to #SaveTheSongBirds. We planted in the Econfina Creek and the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, both in Florida, the Willamette National Forest of Oregon and […]
A big congratulations to Lauren DeRosa and Lynn Raymond on the purchase of their 3rd Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Santa Rosa, CA! Lauren and Lynn also own the WBU stores in Fort Collins, CO and Longmont, CO. The Santa Rosa, CA store was originally opened by Tom and Barbara Hendricks in December 1994. In […]
This is an amazing podcast with our Wild Birds Unlimited CDO/EVP of Franchising, Paul Pickett! His career with Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) has perfectly combined his love of birds, nature, and people. Paul joined the WBU team as the first full-time employee in 1989, shortly after graduating with his Master’s Degree in Biology/Ornithology from the […]
This week we met with our Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Advisory Council, in person! This is the first in person FAC meeting that we have had since the pandemic and WOW how wonderful it is! Our Franchise Advisory Council is a combination of all of our Franchise Support Center staff and a talented group of […]
Our CDO/EVP of Franchising, Paul Pickett sat down with Franchise Business Review to discuss the process of working with potential franchisees and what it takes to help them become successful Wild Birds Unlimited store owners. Our wonderful franchisees Mark and Danielle Motley also joined the conversation to share their experience, as well as the support […]
A very big congratulations to Sean Ryan, as he has recently taken ownership of his 4th Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Knoxville, TN! Sean also owns the WBU stores in Hickory, NC, High Point, NC, and Hilton Head Island, SC. Sean joined the WBU family back in 2003 when he purchased his first store in […]
We are so happy to announce that Lauren DeRosa and Lynn Raymond have now opened their Wild Birds Unlimited store in Longmont, CO. This is their second store as they have owned the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Fort Collins, CO since 2006. Congratulations, Lauren and Lynn! We couldn’t be more thankful to have to […]
Congratulations to Jessica and Gregg Janes on the purchase of the Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Alpharetta, GA! This store first opened in 1994 and was most recently owned by Andrew Scholl and Jacqueline Venchi. Both Andrew and Jacqueline will remain franchisees, as they also own the Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Roswell, GA. We […]
A new Wild Birds Unlimited store is officially open in Johnson City, TN! George and Kera Brewster have been working so hard to get their store up and running, and we are so happy to see them open for business!
Take a look at this new article in Pillars of Franchising featuring Dawna Blum! Dawna is the owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Woburn, MA. Dawna shares her very personal journey on how she decided to start the next chapter of her life with Wild Birds Unlimited. Dawna said, “It took a lot […]
Wild Birds Unlimited is so pleased to announce that we have been ranked #8 in the Top Ten Franchise Systems by FranchiseHelp. We could not be more honored to be included in this prestigious list of brands.
We are so honored and excited to announce that Wild Birds Unlimited has been listed in Top 400 Franchise List based on global sales. We could not be prouder to be #204! “This is a major jump in our ranking of by Franchise Times from #247 to #204”, said Paul Pickett, CDO of Wild Birds […]
We are so honored to be included in this list of the Top 15 Affordable Franchises You Can Start in Your 50s that was published by AARP magazine. Birdwatching became a more popular hobby during the pandemic as lockdowns led more people to appreciate what’s happening right outside their windows. Wild Birds Unlimited could be […]
We could not be prouder of Kindell and Josh Tolmie from Kanata, Ontario. As always, their passion, focus, drive and desire to make a difference is clear. Thanks to Angela Cote and the Canadian Franchise Association for including Kindell and Josh and Wild Birds Unlimited.
We’ve all heard the expression the early bird catches the worm…bird enthusiasts know just how true that statement is. “Birders,” as bird watchers are often called, get up with the sun because that’s when hungry birds look for breakfast after a good night’s sleep. The common sounds of birds chirping and singing, make our feathered […]
Once again, Wild Birds Unlimited has received another Innovation Award this year. Franchise Update Media named Wild Birds Unlimited the #1 brand for the Most Innovative Supply Chain Improvement. We also were the Runner up in the Most Innovative Franchisee Support this year. In this category, Franchise Update Media judges reviewed all submitted applications in […]
Finding the right franchise opportunity was not easy for Cathy and Pam, our West Albuquerque, NM but when they found Wild Birds Unlimited, they soared.
The Edie’s bought and moved an existing store in Cypress, TX, doubled the volume, then bought and renovated another WBU store in Houston, TX with similar results. Rich has served as the Chair of our FAC and is a member of our IT committee. They have led their local marketing group, become Certified Training Stores […]
Once you’ve made the decision to become a business owner, the to-do list can seem endless, with numerous details and tasks essential for success. That list should include two major items. First, consider franchising versus a start-up business. There are far more advantages to franchising, such as your reduced investment risk due to the utilization […]
The challenges associated with the pandemic were, and continue to be challenging, especially for retail franchises like those in the wild bird feeding industry. As a team, we worked together to be a bright light in an otherwise dark time for so many people. Our ability to pivot and continue to bring the Joy of […]
If you’re thinking about opening a franchise, you know the choices are endless: high-profit, big-name franchises. Moderately priced franchises. Low-cost, home-based franchises. How do you know which types of franchises are right for you? We’ve got a guide to the five main types of franchise. Once you’ve narrowed down the franchise segment you’re drawn to, […]
Every business has had to rethink the way they operate in the past year-plus, no matter their size or their location. That has certainly been the case in franchising, as brands spanning across the nation had to monitor various best practices based on differing guidelines from state to state. For many brands, franchise support is […]
We are thrilled to be listed amongst the top 200 global franchise systems in the recent 2021 Entrepreneur Magazine’s list. Interested in becoming a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Store Owner? Fill out our form below and someone will be in contact with you.
Wild Birds Unlimited is pleased to be included in this article about great pet-nature store franchise opportunities, that allows people to fulfill their joy of bird feeding and fulfill their dream of owning their own business. Interested in becoming a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Store Owner? Fill out our form below and someone will be […]
Owners Barbara and Chip Whipkey and their manager Amanda Whipkey were recognized at the Wild Birds Unlimited annual Enterprise Leadership Conference for their hard work with the Highest Flying Fledgling award. Barbara and Chip also own the Lexington Park, MD store and we are so proud of all of their efforts to bring the joy […]
Starting a business is a brave undertaking, one that requires detailed research before making a decision. Franchising helps with limiting a variety of the risks associated with independent business ownership, though there are still plenty of questions to have answered before placing your time and money into a new opportunity. The most obvious question you’ll […]
There are few feelings that are more exciting than embarking on a new business journey. Still, despite all the optimism of entrepreneurship, starting out on your own can be a frightening proposition. Whether it is the economic environment at the time you are planning or a lack of experience, there is a variety of reasons […]
It is no secret that 2020 threw most businesses for a loop. Wild Birds Unlimited was no different. However, the commitment of the entire franchise system along with the flexibility of our model allowed the franchise to maintain success as consumer habits became uncertain. At this point one year ago, the economy had recently reached […]
Pivot is a term we have heard all too often in the past 18 months due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. We have learned how to adapt in unprecedented times. Financially, businesses have experienced extreme highs and lows. According to the Washington Post, economists say the United States is technically out of a recession but a […]
A sign of a franchise’s strength is more than the size and spread of its system. Many brands can boast a national footprint, but if they are constantly revolving ownership of locations between franchisees, how strong is the brand? Wild Birds Unlimited can claim both. With 350 locations approaching 100 different markets in the […]