Beowoof Provisions for Pets ♥️ Starting a Pet Grooming Salon

Beowoof Provisions for Pets--From the Heart ♥️ Starting a Boutique Pet Grooming Salon!

Beowoof Provisions for Pets is a small boutique pet supply store that is trying very hard to establish itself in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. The storefront that we’ve continued to renovate since our opening during the pandemic in 2020 was a terribly-neglected space on the edge of the “Historic Downtown Kalamazoo Mall”. We chose the space both because of its affordability and also its location.

Beowoof’s owner Karl was born in Kalamazoo. Mom would routinely take all four siblings downtown to the country’s first pedestrian outdoor shopping mall on family shopping excursions. She would shop at Woolworths and at Gilmores and JC Penney department stores while the kids passed the time playing on the bridges that crossed the fountain-bedecked ponds and climbing on the animal sculptures. The family bought their back-to-school Florsheims there, saw movies at the State Theater, got burgers and chocolate malts at Holly’s Grill on the corner of Burdick and Lovell. It was a lovely destination then, and we hope to help make it a lovely destination now.

The famous Kalamazoo Mall has changed over the 60+ years since its dedication in 1959. There is now a single lane of traffic on the two original mall blocks—but, the landscaped beauty, the outdoor dining, the charming boutiques, the animal sculptures, and the historic State Theater remain. The pandemic took its toll on the economy and on the downtown traffic flow. Today, the community of shops and restaurants on the Mall is still struggling to resurrect itself. Beowoof is attempting to do our part to make downtown a unique destination once more for the people of the city of Kalamazoo and for visitors to the area.

Beowoof’s funds for renovation are depleted to the point that our renovations have stopped. We need to raise the capital to finish what we started. We have accomplished our original plan to convert the unfinished back of the store to a space suitable for a variety of activities for pets and their people: offering dog training classes, a space to celebrate pet birthdays and adoptions, pet-themed lectures for pet parents, vet visits, and pet adoptions.

We would now love to convert a corner of the back into a small grooming salon. There is currently no dog grooming offered locally in the downtown area. We would use any funds raised to take the existing storage area and install the plumbing, electricity, drywall, door, and flooring suitable for such an endeavor. We would also need to buy a dog bathing tub, a grooming table, and a grooming dryer.

The “ask” is for the cost of building materials and the grooming equipment, we will continue to be the laborers. (We will also need to hire some help with the plumbing, and an electrician for a bit of wiring....) Wish us luck! We currently offer pet nail trimming, we hope to expand that service to a full grooming experience for your pet in 2025!