Karen
Karen was always a military brat. Working in the medical and
logistics branches of the Canadian military, she loved helping
people. Then at the young age of 45 she realized she wanted a
change. Karen had always seen herself in a family-oriented business
where owners cared about their customers and truly took the time
get involved in their clientele’s lives. Not a fan of corporate
environments, Karen also loved the idea of owning a business that
allowed her to devote herself to her true passion: animals. But
first she had to find a new career as an entry point.
An organization nut, Karen tried accounting, but that didn’t
scratch the itch she had. As she continued to examine different
career options, Karen who had regularity shopped at the Hampton’s
Bone & Biscuit in Edmonton, realized and appreciated that the
storeowners at the Bone & Biscuit cared about their customers, and
it shone through in their genuine interest and unhurried
attitudes.
Karen casually mentioned to the storeowner that she’d love to
own a place like The Bone & Biscuit.
“You know – there’s one for sale in the South Side of Edmonton”,
the warm clerk replied.
Like a cat to catnip, Karen was hooked – she knew she had to own
that Bone and Biscuit.
Convincing her sister Wendy to help her out with the operation
of the business was the first step. With one visit to the store,
Wendy too was hooked. Both lifelong animal lovers, the sisters
dreamed of surrounding themselves with puppies and kittens, and saw
it their mission to help pet owners find the perfect balance of
nutrition for their pets.
“Dogs and cats make us better people – I truly believe that”,
Karen had always said. With her own branch of The Bone & Biscuit in
Edmonton, Karen hopes to help the entire City realize just
that.
Wendy
Over the course of the thirty years Wendy owned her hair salon,
she was always most happy when her clients brought their pets into
the store. Watching all types of people – from the burliest men to
the smallest children – bend over and excitedly pet a dog gave her
an immense amount of joy. “Pets can heal and calm a troubled mind”,
Wendy told her clients.
Though Wendy liked her salon, she longed for a place where she
could get to know the clientele, learn about their lives, and help
them in a meaningful way. However, often whenever a hairdresser
left, their clients left with them. This left Wendy disappointed
and dissatisfied. She wanted to work in a store where she was in
control of the inventory - repeatedly having hairdressers she
taught and mentored leave with clients was disheartening.
Wendy casually looked for other businesses that could
potentially combine her love of pets with her love of the intimate
salon-type atmosphere, but she couldn’t find anything that piqued
her interest. It wasn’t until her sister Karen took her to a Bone &
Biscuit location that she realized she had found her
passion.
The Bone & Biscuit she visited was close knit and the employees
truly cared about helping the customer, which was right up Wendy’s
alley. Working in the salon, Wendy had always enjoyed watching
people’s faces light up when she was able to provide a useful
tidbit of knowledge.
The sisters worked hard, and soon Wendy and Karen were working at doing what they loved in their very own Bone & Biscuit: helping people help their pets.
"Having this store is a dream come true, the brand stands for everything I believe in," Karen.
"Not only was it a perfect fit but I got to start building a new cliental …. The best kind….. cats and dogs!" Wendy.
