Call it tail-wagging retailing
In one of Greenville’s newest eateries, the gourmet goodies in the bakery case are reserved for those with four legs.
But dogs as well as their owners can sit down and enjoy a treat inside The Barkery Bistro at 118 N. Main St.
The offering of doggy treats is part of the unique flavor Diane Ludwig and her daughter Meghan Ludwig chose for their blend of an upscale dog boutique and gift shop.
However, the shop isn’t limited to owners of pets that bark. The Barkery Bistro also has items geared toward those that meow.
The offerings include cat and dog toys, hygiene items, and varieties of food. There is also an assortment of animal-related art and gifts.
One of the Ludwigs’ goals with The Barkery Bistro is to be a one-stop shop that’s also “a fun, stopping place where customers become friends,” Diane Ludwig said.
The bistro is also an outlet for the Ludwigs to educate pet owners on issues related to health, safety and the care of their dogs or cats.
Meghan Ludwig, who has trained her own golden retrievers Bentley and Duncan, said that part of the concept evolved in their talks with people. And especially since the pet food recalls, “everyone is so focused on feeding (their pets) the right food, treats, and they’re understanding why we’re selling product that most grocery stores don’t carry.”
The decision to become entrepreneurs came at a point in their lives when both mother and daughter were seeking a change.
Diane Ludwig was a corporate lawyer who had always wanted to own her own business, “but I was not willing to put my time, my energy, my money into something unless I just felt 100 percent passionate about it.”
Meghan Ludwig, who was living in Florida, had worked in the restaurant business and dabbled in business banking. She was considering either returning to graduate school or continuing in the corporate world, “which I didn’t enjoy.”
Meanwhile, she and her mother “batted around” a few business ideas. Diane Ludwig, who was living in Charleston, read a magazine article about a dog boutique that set in motion plans for their current shop.
The two studied and visited dog boutiques/gift shops in such cities as Tampa, Charleston and Denver before developing their own concept.
“The more we talked about this idea, the more creative we became,” Diane Ludwig said.
Meghan Ludwig said, “Our family and friends were like, ‘A dog bakery? Are you crazy?’ They said ‘Will you bake dogs?'”
“They’d all laugh,” her mother said. “But we’ll see who gets the last laugh.”
The Ludwigs chose Greenville to open their shop because it met their criteria of being dog-oriented, friendly and exciting.
“I was really impressed when I studied the demographics for the area,” Diane Ludwig said. “I like the mix, some of the diversity and I understand it’s that small town which is s great in a lot of ways because you have the values. It’s a family-oriented place, but yet it’s exciting and it’s developed this European feel so you have a lot of other people that are coming from the outside in, and just coming, visiting and talking about it.”
The Barkery Bistro will continue to evolve by baking some of its doggy treats on site. The shop already has a kitchen for that purpose and “we have our own recipes,” Meghan Ludwig said.
They also plan to expand their offerings of hosting special events, including doggy birthday parties. Diane Ludwig said the shop is starting to carry varieties of puppy pizza, doggy beer and wine, ice cream and cake for dogs, party hats and favors — “the whole nine yards.”
from GreenvilleOnline © 2008
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