GRAVETTE -- Gravette opens the new year with a new business on Main Street.
Pet Pop, located at 128 Main St. N.E., is a supplier of pet supplies. The business hosted the monthly Chamber of Commerce Chamber After Hours event Dec. 4 and held a soft opening Dec. 6, the day of the Gravette Christmas parade. Owner Joey Cannon said a big grand opening event is being planned in the spring when the weather has warmed enough to include some outdoor activities.
The Cannons purchased the building, at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue N.E., in 2015 and have rented it out to other businesses in the meantime. In more recent years it has been a meeting place for the Beacon Baptist Church and the home of the Dynamic Rhythm Dance Studio. After the dance studio moved, it sat empty for several months and, seeing the number of pet owners in the area and the lack of places offering pet products, Cannon said he decided a pet supply store was needed.
Cannon spent several months doing extensive remodeling both inside and outside the building. Interior walls were reconfigured, and new paint was put on both exterior and interior walls. Some of the interior walls have been decorated in a textured design and black lighting is focused on the walls in the main display room. The front part of the store features purple walls, a checkout counter decorated in purple and black wavy stripes, and a pink and yellow check-patterned floor.
Cannon emphasizes that he has made it a point to stock only high-quality pet food brands, including dog and cat foods from Taste of the Wild, NutriSource, Diamond and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Other brands, like Hunter's Special, Valupak and Purina Pro Plan, are still available in the farm supply section at Can-Do Hardware. In addition to pet foods, a large variety of dog biscuits and other treats for both dogs and cats is available.
New pet owners just setting up a home for their furry friends can come to Pet Pop for supplies. Dog houses and pet carriers are available, as well as pet beds and bedding, harnesses, leashes and collars and toys of all kinds. Pet health is not ignored with pet vitamins, shampoos, skin treatments, pet toothbrushes and toothpaste available.
Rabbit food and bedding are available, as well as a limited supply of products for reptiles and fish. Cannon said he did not realize how many bird, reptile and fish owners lived in the area, but he has had several requests for supplies for these animals, so he plans to expand that section of the store. He said he welcomes input from customers about items they would like to see in his inventory. He invites people to come in and, if they don't find what they're looking for on his shelves, to let him know what they want and he'll try to find it.
However, Pet Pop is not just about pets. Cannon said he wants it to be not just a place where customers can readily find pet supplies but a place where it's fun to shop. The front room at the store features a variety of gift items with candies, clothing items (some pet-related), and a large supply of toys for children and adults. Large coolers contain a variety of specialty soft drinks. Plans are to develop a themed area in the back of the store, similar to the themed areas at the family's Can-Do Hardware store, which is expected to open in the fall. Another area on the west end of the store, just down a ramp from the main business building, is to be developed as a soda fountain and will offer carbonated drinks and other treats.
Open hours for the new business are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Pet Pop can be reached by telephone at (479) 344-2121. Cannon invites everyone to come in and visit, see what the store has to offer and stock up on supplies for all their pets.