Meet Anna Robertson and Karl Roberts | Owners of Mutts + Munch

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Robertson and Karl Roberts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna and Karl, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It may sound cliché but the success of our brand is integrity. Right now our biggest seller is the training and it hinges on the reputation we’ve built up since arriving in 2019. We always offer a free consultation before taking on new clients and this isn’t a hook to get people through the door, it’s a genuine need to meet both the dog and the owners first so we can set realistic expectations. There have been times where within the consultation we’ve said, ‘Do you know what? Your dog doesn’t need training.’ and there have also been times when we’ve explained to the owner that board and train, the most costly option, isn’t the way to go. Integrity isn’t all about being nice though, we’ve also had to have difficult conversations about the owner-dog dynamic or about how we won’t do a certain type of training. In the end people appreciate that honesty as well as the clear achievable results you lay out for them. This has led to a good word of mouth reputation for us and in L.A…that’s everything.

What should our readers know about your business?
We first had this business idea in 2014 when we were in LA planning our wedding. We were living in London at the time and both had pretty good regular 9-5 jobs but our ambition was always to build something for ourselves, we just didn’t know what. Within 2 months of living together we’d got our first dog together, Jackson, and we took him everywhere. Anna grew up in Santa Monica but has lived all over the world so was surprised to see so many dogs since she had last been ‘home’. We were both surprised by how many places you couldn’t take your pooch and the seed was planted. For the next few years we planned and talked of a place where you could take your dog and not only be welcome but actually find that the place was catered to you. Dog training had been a passion of Karl’s since college when he first worked as a trainer so he had continued doing this exclusively with rescues his entire adult life but we knew that to make something special, further education was needed. After completing as many courses as we could find and painstakingly preparing our business plan we finally made the move to LA in 2019. Straight off the bat we had bookings, Karl arrived on a Tuesday and had his first client on Thursday. Things were going great, we’d established ourselves as one of the ‘go-to’ dog trainers in LA and were on course now that we’d settled in to find our first location, then 2020 hit. We don’t want to harp on about that year as that’s been talked about at length we’re sure but suffice to say we had to hit the pause button on our plans. Finally last summer we took our last break for Anna’s birthday, a chill surfing trip to San Clemente, before coming back and signing the lease for our first location.

Since then it’s been non-stop and whilst a lot of things have gone right a lot has come out of left field too. From supply issues, to slow moving processes we do feel lucky to have each other to lean on, fortunately at least one of us has remained calm in times of stress and crisis, it’s like we have a timeshare agreement on panic. Starting your own business isn’t easy and the most important lesson we’ve learnt is to focus on the short term whilst planning for the long. It’s very easy to romanticize about the future and it’s ok to do so occasionally but you have to get each day done the best you can.

Mutts + Munch opened on 30th October 2021, the cafe serves food for both dogs and humans and the adjacent unit offers training and daycare. What sets us apart is that we really do want people to come together over their love of dogs. Our favorite part of the business is meeting new people and their fur friends as well as introducing them to our other customers. We want to create a community vibe where people can share experiences, share best practice and truly embrace the joy of having a dog in their life. We bond over food and conversation and at Mutts + Munch the common ground is already established.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For us LA is all about the variety, anyone who says they don’t like LA hasn’t really experienced it. Fast paced city life butts up against breathtaking nature and to get a slice of that our mini itinerary would be:

Leo Carrillo Beach – No surprises here as the northern section is dog friendly and is accessed from its own parking lot down a quaint winding trail. At low tide there’s a good length of beach to walk along and at high tide it feels like a secluded cove that’s untouched by time.

Neptune’s Net – To keep the ocean theme going the next stop would have to be this place, you can get some real good seafood at reasonable prices whilst watching the waves thunder towards the 1 all the to the sound of some badass bikes as the motorcycle clubs roll in for a bite. It’s also where Johnny Utah asked Tyler to teach him to surf in Point Break so that’s cool.

Kenneth Hahn State Park – We love this hike, the flora here is beautifully indigenous and the views are spectacular. To the west you have the ocean which takes in Marina Del Rey to Malibu as well as the oil fields that for sure will have you humming the Beverly Hills Cop theme tune. To the north and east you can see from the multi-million dollar homes of the hills to towering skyscrapers of Downtown all framed by the San Gabriel Mountains. We love going here on a warm winter’s day, basking in the sunshine whilst staring at snow capped mountains.

Orleans & York – LA is also about the variety you can experience when it comes to food and for that reason Orleans & York is a must do. Karl had never had a Po’ Boy and that just ain’t right. Any friends or family who visit LA, especially from the UK, need to try this place. Combining New York deli with New Orleans flavors this is a truly unmissable slice of Americana.

Franklin Canyon – For peace and tranquility this canyon with its secluded trails is unbeatable, there are challenging hikes up the Hastain Trail that affords views as far as Catalina to gentle shaded strolls around the lake, it’s got everything. California Quail, turtles, bobcats, coyotes, Pacific Gopher snakes and rattlesnakes are just some of the wildlife you can encounter just be sure to show them the respect they deserve. The lake in particular feels very Hollywood and with good reason, there’s often filming up there, just don’t be freaked out if it’s a teen slasher holiday camp affair, it’s all make-believe.

Venice – It can get a bad rap and there are problems our city needs to address but that’s no reason to avoid the area. It’s loud and vibrant but it’s Venice. You can take a stroll around the canals if you need a breather but we also would recommend visitors to embrace the chaos of the boardwalk and patronize the small business and hawkers along the front, their rent ain’t cheap. For a bite we like Hinano Cafe or the Venice Whaler and always go for the takeout window so we can eat on the beach but our pick for a break would be a beer or margarita at The Brig on Abbot Kinney. It’s airy and chill in the day and the perfect spot for a pause in your day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have to thank our friends and family for all their support over the last few years, from investing to taste testing to just listening to us stress out, we’ve got a solid support network around us and we are grateful for that. We also have to thank Shira Scott Astrof of the Animal Rescue Mission and Elizabeth Regen of Concerned Citizens Animal Rescue for recognizing the value of Karl’s force free approach to dog training and featuring him on their social media. Being new to the US in 2019 it really helped us get our name out there quickly.

Website: https://www.muttsandmunch.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muttsandmunch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuttsandMunch

Image Credits
Laura Ford