About MISHKA Luxury Dog Treats
Founded in San Francisco in 2018, MISHKA Luxury Dog Treats is a business that combines two of founder Olia Rosenblatt’s passions: good food and love for dogs. "Our pets deserve to eat as well as we do," Olia explains.
Originally a successful businesswoman from Moscow, Olia moved to San Francisco where she met and married her husband. Seeing an opportunity to make a career pivot to something that aligned with her passions, Olia explored the idea of making dog treats.
Olia tested treat recipes for months, perfecting the right mix of nutrition, taste, and appearance. The result is MISHKA Luxury Dog Treats: a high-quality, human-grade, organic pâté encased in a brilliant, vegetable-dyed glaze, made with no artificial colors or preservatives and ideal for dogs of all ages and breeds.
The Challenge
From the very beginning, Olia saw delivery as a key strategy for growing her business. She signed up to partner with DoorDash a few months after getting MISHKA off the ground.
"As a business owner, one of the smartest things you can do is offer the convenience of delivery for your customers," she explains. "People have busy lives and don’t want to have to worry about traffic or parking." Customers delighted in being able to find unique, high-quality dog treats online.
Olia steadily grew her business, but grew concerned when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She wasn’t sure how customers would respond. "I thought that was it for our business," she explains.
DoorDash has been a great partner for us. As a small business, it’s really important to offer convenience, and partnering with DoorDash helps us surprise and delight customers who didn’t realize they could get high-quality dog treats delivered.
The Solution
With reduced foot traffic, Olia pivoted to a delivery-only model. Dashers took care of pet shop deliveries for orders that came in through DoorDash, while Olia and her team hand-delivered orders for customers outside of San Francisco.
"It was great to be able to offer contact-free delivery during that time," she notes. "That’s the level of service our customers needed."
Olia also ramped up MISHKA’s marketing efforts during this time. She posted on Instagram and Yelp about her delivery offers, and also used DoorDash promotions like first delivery free to attract new customers. "It was a no-brainer," she says. "Everyone loves a discount."
The Results
Ultimately, Olia’s business grew 7X since the pandemic. "It was a time when people appreciated their pets more than ever."
Shelters around the country emptied out as people rushed to bring home a furry companion. Many owners looked for new ways to treat their pets, and MISHKA presented the perfect high-quality, convenient option.
MISHKA’s sales jumped 700%. With the boost in revenue, Olia was able to move into a new storefront in one of San Francisco’s most premium neighborhoods, Pacific Heights. Next, Olia is planning to launch nationwide shipping, and open a second location in Los Angeles.
Olia plans to continue her partnership with DoorDash as she scales MISHKA. "We love the convenience for our customers with DoorDash – they can order treats for their pets just like they order a pizza for themselves."
