With 33 years of success, Pet Food Depot set to open third location in August
Author: City Sun Times
This three-generation, family-owned and operated pet store has been providing pet owners in the Metro Phoenix area with exceptional customer service for over three decades.
Slated to open this August, the third and newest location of this independent chain pet store will be located at the corner of Tatum and Cactus at 4619 E. Cactus Road Suite 2B01, Phoenix.
Their stores are operated by at least one family member in each location. With ties to the community that they serve, they’re able to cater to their customers by providing products unique to each area.
“Our success is most defined by customer satisfaction. Our family finds customer relations are the backbone to our success,” Addie Schuhle, Pet Food Depot Buyer said.
“We also have adapted. Not being afraid of change is a big thing. We have adapted to the changes within our neighborhoods. Moving from 90% horse in the 1990s to 90% dog/cat in 2023 is a huge adaptation and not an easy adjustment.”
Opening in 1990, the original location at 17645 N. Cave Creek Road in Phoenix has a rustic charm to it. As their largest location, offering around 7,000 square feet of retail space, the old fashioned barn-style design has its own distinctive features. With restored vintage trucks sporting the company's logo to a huge resin bulldog and cement chickens, the shop is hard to miss.
The Scottsdale store, which opened in 2011, is located at 6989 N. Hayden Road A-1.
“I would love to see everyone stop in at least once. I do not believe there to be a pet store in the Valley that can compare to our original entity,” Schuhle said.
“We have a huge selection of foods and treats for a slew of animals. We spent time researching and learning about the products we have in store and directly purchased many specialty items that a lot of other stores don’t carry.”
They want their company to be your one stop shop for all things pets.
“We have a wide selection of Natural pet foods and dog treats from biscuits to pig ears and body parts. Yes, even duck heads. The dogs love them,” Schuhle said.
“We sell many live chickens for backyard birding. People enjoy raising chickens and producing eggs in their own yards. We carry all the supplies you need to raise them properly.”
In store they also offer cat, rabbit, wild birds, domestic birds and reptile foods. They’ve recently expanded their freezer section to 14 doors, helping them to expand the brands they carry for dog and cat raw foods. They also have 24 feet of freeze-dried raw foods and 66 feet of dog toys to choose from. As they say they feed all animals “from A-Z.”
With high quality reviews they credit the longevity of their establishment to their commitment to families, pets and their owners and their neighborhood ties. Their employees are always there to answer any of your questions. They’re constantly staying up to date with all things pet nutrition and updating their inventory.
At their original Cave Creek location, they have a DIY dog wash that’s become a huge success.
“People love that they can bring their dogs in and leave the clean-up to us. Just $15 for 15 minutes for a dog wash in A/C is a win win,” Schuhle said.
Their hope for the newest location is that it’ll be a smaller version of the original, carrying quality products at amazing prices with top notch customer service.
“We will also be able to provide the ability to special order products,” Schuhle said. “We look forward to our customers getting to see the new store and a beautiful selfie wall for dogs to get their picture taken at.”
For more information on Pet Food Depot visit their website at pfdepot.com or call 602-493-7639.
Pet Food Depot is a member of the CITYSunTimes Preferred Business Program.