Reopening Celebration for Perk Valley Pet Eatery

The was opened by locals Sue and Gordon Kriebel in October of 2003, but celebrated a grand reopening Thursday night to show off the completion of the store’s latest renovations to new and veteran customers alike.

The Pet Eatery is a one-stop shop for pet owners, sporting everything from pet toys in their new center section on wheels to delectable treats from the pet bakery.

Local resident Mary Kyryk has been shopping at the Pet Eatery for all her pet needs for seven years, and has no plans of going anywhere else. She loves the selection the Pet Eatery has to offer and the “personalized service.”

“They give good suggestions and they know their products really well,” Kyryk said of the store owners and staff.

General Manager John D’Alessandro spoke on the subject, laughing at the fact he probably knows more dogs’ names than those of their owners. He commented how much the team at the Pet Eatery loves talking to customers, knowing their animals, and solving the problems that come through the doors.

“The smaller the store, the better the business,” D’Alessandro said.

The Pet Eatery may be small, but the size keeps the business in the family. The business is run by Sue and Gordon, and the couple's daughter can be spotted helping out often. Almost everyone else working at the Pet Eatery is local, and the Kriebels hire many local high school and college students.

Sue Gordon actually came to the pet world from a 15-year run in pharmaceuticals. The owner says she never looks back on the decision, and she loves her life with the animals at the Pet Eatery.

“I like being able to help people find solutions to their (pets’) health problems,” she said.

She laughed, looking at her life now. “I’m a chit-chat people person,” she said.

Her hunger for happy socialization is met at the Pet Eatery, where everyone agrees that the people make the difference.

The remodel was a period of organized chaos for the store, but the doors stayed open and customers were welcomed with open arms through it all.

Sue said she kept her patrons updated on the goings on of the remodeling via Facebook and newsletters, and her team worked hard to make sure everyone’s needs were still being met. Sue commented how much she appreciated all her customers’ patience through the “intense” process.

The task included moving all the pet food to the perimeter of the store to open up the center. Sue said they wanted to make the store feel more open and welcoming.

“We didn’t want people feeling crazy stressed when they came in,” she said.

The center is now occupied by the Pet Eatery’s stash of treats and toys, which are housed on wheeling carts. What’s so great about the wheels? The carts can be wheeled away to really open up the center space!

With the new space available, the Pet Eatery is now offering dog training. In addition to nutrition seminars for pets, the crew will now be running classes for dogs in conjunction with the Bark Busters program. Check out the business’s website for more information about the seminars or the new classes.