For 14 years, Pittsford native Phil Clark Jr. had worked in service and sales for Microsoft in New York City.
“I was a little sick of the grind, and I wanted to do something different,” he said.
His dad, Phil Clark Sr., was retired from the architecture and engineering firm he founded in 1975 in Rochester as Clark Engineering. (It is now known as Clark Patterson Lee.)
“I was looking for something to do other than just play golf,” the elder Clark said.
Now their lives have gone to the dogs, and they couldn’t be happier.
In January, they opened the first Central Bark franchise in New York state. It’s at 65 Saginaw Drive in Henrietta.
Featuring about 6,800 feet of space indoors and 2,000 outdoors, the doggy daycare isn’t far from the U.S. Postal Service office on Jefferson Road.
“It’s been great to work with dogs, and there’s a huge demand for dog services around here,” said Clark Jr., 43, who is living in Pittsford again and has three dogs of his own: Goldendoodles Lucy and Brooklyn, and Jaycee, a cocker spaniel mix.