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Sarah Riddell
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Sarah Riddell
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Sarah Riddell
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Sarah Riddell
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Sarah Riddell
After traveling around Southwest Virginia as a mobile business since 2015, Unleashed Dog Bakery & Boutique decided to open their very own Downtown Roanoke storefront location on Campbell Avenue. The unique business will celebrate their one-year anniversary this summer.
Since converting her mobile dog bakery and boutique into a storefront retail location on Campbell Avenue a year ago, much has changed for Jenn Lugar, the owner of Unleashed Dog Bakery and Boutique. Since opening last July, Unleashed has partnered with over 30 businesses to provide customers with a variety of specialized items to choose from, including treats made with honest ingredients that are preservative-free and made in small batches by other small businesses.
The best news? Many of the boutique items and treats are made locally, so you know exactly where the items you purchase are coming from! Between networking with new product vendors to planning and hosting their very own events, it’s been a whirlwind of a year for Unleashed— and the business continues to blossom.
While opening a new business is no small task, Lugar says that it was all worth it when all was said and done. “The transition from our trailer felt seamless. We were extremely fortunate to work with the owner of the Ponce De Leon (the attached apartment building to the left of the shop) himself to make the space exactly the way we envisioned it.”
While they loved going from one local event to another, Lugar says it has been so rewarding to have their very own location—a major plus to this is that now their customers know exactly where to find them when their fur babies are in need of some spoiling!
When asked what she is most proud of since opening the storefront, Lugar says that she has always been the most passionate about their “profit for purpose” mission, which allows for a portion of the profits made on many items sold in the store to be donated to local philanthropic organizations that help dogs in need. When shopping at Unleashed, “not only are you supporting our small business, but you support those we partner with and donate to as well. This chain-reaction resonates throughout the community—and it does make a big difference.”
Since opening their storefront, Lugar and her team have made a considerable amount of donations to pet-loving establishments through customer purchases made at the store, including $233 worth of food and cleaning supplies to Angels of Assisi; $223 to the Human Society through purchases of G&H Coffee; $300 to their partner business, MuttHub, through sticker and shirt purchases; 250 meals for shelter dogs from IHeartDogs purchases; and over $400 in treats, toys and other items to various organizations through their fundraising endeavors and in-house events.
Over the past year, the outpouring of love from the community— both humans and their furry companions alike—has been astronomical.
“From family, to friends, to our loyal customers—the positivity, excitement, encouragement and support continues to humble us," she says. "It’s rare to survive your first year in business, so to be celebrating our one-year anniversary is huge and we do not take it for granted. We appreciate the support of our community, and especially our ‘loyal companions’ who have been with us from the very beginning.”
\With the support of the Roanoke Valley behind her, Lugar cannot wait to see how much her small downtown business will continue to evolve and grow in the years to come.
Want to help Unleashed celebrate this big milestone? They will be holding their One-Year Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, July 20th from 10am-6pm, where they will be launching their new t-shirts, announcing some new boutique vendors and raffling off a handmade wooden food bowl that is valued at over $200.
To express their gratitude to their customers for all the support they have been given over the past year, a variety of discounts and prizes will be given away using their prize wheel. For more information about this event, visit their Facebook page, @UnleashedLLC.