Zoe’s Pet Deli & Dog Wash

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Name Zoe’s Pet Deli & Dog Wash

Business Type Pet Food Store/Dog Wash

Location Mt Vernon, Iowa

Population  4,583

Owner/Manager Diana Crowley

Year Opened 2014

Website 

http://zoespetdeli.com/

Phone (319) 535-1030

E-mail 

info@zoespetdeli.com

Products Sold & Niche Developed

Diana Crowley offers a holistic approach to animals’ health. She brings healthy food options for cats and dogs to Mt. Vernon. They offer natural foods, raw diets, treats and vitamins while only using local resources.

How it got started

Zoe’s Pet Deli opened in its first location in 2014 and in 2015 moved to a larger location. Diana wanted to open a natural food store based on what she saw when she worked in pet stores in Southern California. It was clear in her experience that a healthy diet can do a lot for a pet’s life span.

Mt. Vernon only had two places for residents to buy dog food. Both places did not have many options for pet owners. Diana knew that there had to be a market because the town had a dog park. With all this in mind, she decided Mt. Vernon was the perfect place to start her business.

Who it serves

The deli and dog wash largely serves the Mt. Vernon area; however, people come from all over the state because they are one of only two places that carry Fromm Family Foods.

Building Improvements

The new location had been sitting vacant for a while and required the owner to rip up the carpet, paint all the walls and remove clutter. She eventually added a $4,000 dog wash addition. In the future she hopes to add a dog bakery.

Funding

The owner privately funded the project.

Reviewed by Emily Lutz, UW-Extension CCED