Monday, March 01, 2010

Metro Mutts Shoots For Late Spring Opening

Metro Mutts,  a pet supply store opening at 508 H Street moves ever closer to opening day. In the meantime you can become a fan on Facebook.

32 comments:

jamie said...

I really like Chateaux Animaux, but I'm definitely looking forward to this spot opening, and expect to be a regular customer. Any word on whether they're offering grooming services?

Anonymous said...

That's the same address as BritishInk, right? Did BritishInk close?

Hillman said...

This is indeed welcome news.

One word of advice (not that anyone asked)? Try to have things in all price ranges, not just the $8 dog biscuits you see in some urban pet stores.

And have a good list of resources, like vet and boarding recommendations, again in all price ranges. It's surprising how many urban pet stores don't.

inked said...

British Ink is upstairs. Metro Mutts will be downstairs.

Jesse said...

This isn't the same location where there used to be a pet store/Grooming place before is it (I think it went out of business about 3 or 4 years ago)?

Hopefully the neighborhood supports this one better than the last. :)

Jack said...

We're super excited about Metro Mutts!! If you're taking requests from the neighbors, please, PLEASE carry Fromms dog food!

Jesse said...

I looked back at some of Inked's old pictures and it is the place that used to be "Pet Dreams" (what a name, eh?).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/inked78/242782716/

Best of luck to them.

Anonymous said...

Where is the nearest doggy day care?

Unknown said...

If you look at the pics on Facebook, they've spent a lot of time and money fixing this place up. Nothing against Pet Dreams, but this definitely looks like big change. I think they're going to do very well. I also hope that once summer comes, Toyland can put some outdoor seating in so my pooch and I can stop over for a beer while we pick up her supplies.

Unknown said...

Oh, and the closest doggie day care is Dogma. Haven't used them yet but the website looks nice. http://www.dog-ma.com/

ro said...

Pet dreams was a bit disorganized and had fairly inconvenient hours, at least for those of us who work regular corporate jobs. If the new owners get it right, this place will do well. Most of us dog (and cat) owners currently have to drive over to barracks row or potomac ave. or into northwest or beyond to get our supplies/grooming/day care etc. it will be a relief to have a place within a reasonable walking distance.

Jesse said...

Getting slightly off topic, but to Anon @ 10:01...another option for doggy day care is City Dogs in NW. We've taken our dogs there for sometime now and been pretty pleased...

Anonymous said...

Welcome to our neighborhood Metro Mutts!!! I am excited about this place and I hope it has plans to have doggy wash to bath our friendly canines. Does anyone have any info. on what may be in store?

Jordan said...

Off topic - Just talked to Kenfe at Sidamo who said the owners of Ethiopic will be opening next week. I would be much more skeptical but Kenfe is very good friends with the new owners and showed me the inside of the place today. Looks like the decor is coming along quite nicely and all licenses and paperwork is complete! Cant wait!

Anonymous said...

We need a gym! Pets are great, but what about my abs??

Anonymous said...

Dogma is fine, but we need a doggie daycare in NE.

diane said...

we have 5 cats indoors and take care of 6 feral cats outdoors.so with that being said, we need to have easier access to food and for the indoor ones litter. I hope you carry a nice variety of both wet and dry cat foods as well as corn and/or wheat litter for the boxes.
Right now when we need pet supplies we get a zipcar and run to Potomac Yards..
Welcome to Metro Mutts...we tried to buy from the previous place, but they had nothing we could use..very limited supply.

Unknown said...

As a dogowner, I'm glad, but for those listening, how about a good gym in NE?

Anonymous said...

A new WSC or Gold's would be great on the street level of one the West side developments.

I assume the new interns at 3rd and L are also going to need a gym.

farcus said...

It would also be great to have a place in the neighborhood that sells feeder fish. I haven't found a place in the district that sells them (the 10 cents or less a fish type).

Dave B said...

As much as we need a gym, Will Power didnt seem to work out. Yet there still is a crapload of equipment in there. I've been using Sherwood Rec Center. Cheap. Gets the job done. Not a lot of stuff there and more people would make it a little too crowded. But maybe some more revenue might get them to get more stuff.

I kept my Golds membership, but havent been there in a while as I find Sherwood fills me needs. May be time to cancel that

Metro Mutts (Lee) said...

Hey everyone! My name is Lee and I’m one of the founders of Metro Mutts. First off, thanks so much for your interest in our store! I would have replied sooner but as you can imagine, we've been pretty busy getting ready for the big day. I'll do my best to answer some of your questions and take lots of notes on all of your comments and feedback. We’re working on a press release but I’ll provide a sneak preview here… First off, all three of the owners live within a block of the store. We wanted to bring something new to H street, but had a hard time deciding what was the best fit. I was actually leaning towards a CrossFit gym at first, but my wife Kelly and the third partner Anna didn’t support that one. It didn’t take many trips to the suburbs for dog food for the winning idea to sink in. H Street needed a pet supply store and we were determined to make it happen. I won’t get into the details here, but let’s just say it’s been a long road (I guess that’s probably true for any business). We’ve learned a lot and continue to learn everyday – your continued feedback and advice is our greatest resource. Metro Mutts is your pet store, and we will make every attempt to fulfill your needs. Now for your questions...

Grooming: Our original plans called for 3 self washing bays, but the city had other plans. The zoning process for any grooming services takes a minimum of 6 months and isn’t guaranteed. If anyone has a good zoning lawyer they recommend, please let us know. We’ve been sidetracked with renovations but I’d like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Full grooming services are in our mid-range plan, but your feedback could make that a bigger priority.

Pricing: We are pet owners too. We have the same feelings as you about stores that only offer high end items. We plan to have a diverse range of products and we promise to price them reasonably. If you’re looking for something in particular, let us know.

Resources: We are working around the clock to learn as much as possible, but we also recognize that good professional resources are critical. We have some fantastic pet nutritionists that are helping us along and they will be ‘in our back pocket’ to answer any questions we can’t. We’ll also be sure to have a comprehensive list of local services, but we’ll need your help to determine who’s best.

Foods: We have received a lot of feedback on what foods to carry. We really appreciate all the input. As of today, here’s our lineup: Verus (preferred by our pups), Innova, California Natural, Evo, and Before Grain. We will also have frozen raw diet from Primal, Bravo, and Aunt Jeni’s. We’re looking into a few different freeze dried and dehydrated options as well. We will have a wide range of treats, but the coolest ones are the homemade styles from Anna’s kitchen! She posted some pictures on Facebook if you want to check them out. I am making notes of all the other requests and will look into them this week. Customer service is our first priority. If we don’t carry the food you prefer, we will order it especially for you.

Hours: We’re working on those. I could use your feedback. Would 8PM give you enough time after work? We are planning for 6 days a week, including weekends.

Cats: We placed a big order yesterday and plan to have plenty of cat food options. We’ll also have the various litter types. If you need something special, just let us know.

Fish: Sorry jmarcus, we don’t plan to extend beyond dogs and cats at this point and we won’t have any live animals for sale.

Please keep your questions and comments coming. We’ll do our best to provide quick responses here and on Facebook. And if you see us out walking the girls, please say hello! I’m terrible with people names, but I’ll probably remember your dog’s name! Thanks again, Lee.

Nichole said...

Current food line up looks good, but I will second the call for Fromms. I'm tired of having to go to Old Town - even though we love School for Dogs - to get my pooch her beloved duck and sweet potato. She (begrudgingly - I swear I can hear her sigh) eats BG when I can't get to Old Town, but not with nearly as much enthusiasm as she does with her Fromms. (her favorite food is actually the very cheap Purina Beneful. Unfortunately, it doesn't agree with her as much the fancier, less corn-tastic foods.)

Yes, my dog is very, very spoiled. She had a not very nice life before we found each other and she deserves it!

We are thrilled to welcome you guys to the neighborhood and look forward to stopping in soon!!!

JB said...

Since you are still in the taking input phase, please consider weruva wet cat food. It's a quality product and our kittys LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

Eukanuba for the kittehs.

JJ said...

The self-grooming/washing bays are a very, very good idea. I would strongly suggest you guys pursue that.

I spend a fortune getting my pooch washed and cut by the stylists at Animaeux Chateau/Petsmart. I would love to be able to save some dough by having a place to do the washing and cutting myself (i.e., metro mutts). Plus, if people like me are coming in to do the grooming they are more likely to also lay down some more cash for dogfood and treats at your place (get the doggie chores done in one shot I say!)

Chris said...

We'd love a nearby place to get huge bags of plain old Purina One Lamb & Rice. It's not as hip as some of the boutique food brands; but it's soy and egg free, which we need (our guy is allergic to them), and he likes it. And the trip to Potomac Yard to get the big bags, along with Greenies, etc., is bleh.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with the gym at City Vista?

Anonymous said...

"What's wrong with the gym at City Vista?"

Nothing's wrong with it... if you live or work in Mt Vernon Sq! City Vista is not our neighborhood. They even have their own Taylor!

hill_guy said...

I second the request for Purina One :) My pup won't eat anything else!

And as for the "no live animals for sale", I couldn't agree more - nobody should ever buy a companion when there are so many out there who need homes! Along those lines, though, it would be nice if there was a small area that might be able to house a few cats or dogs on weekends that a local rescue group could bring over for adoptions :)

Stephanie said...

I would love to be able to wash our dog inthe self-grooming bay. Right now, we wash her in our bathtub, and that is proving to be more and more difficult. Can't wait till you open!

aliza said...

Science Diet for my kittens, please! Would love to have something close that offers it.