Mid City pet owners will soon have a new place to shop for pet supplies.
Parish Pets, a pet supply store located on South Foster Drive, is moving into the former Hair Art & Company building on Government Street with plans to open in early 2025.
Construction for the pet shop will begin in December. Shop owner Nikki Kipps says she was “busting at the seams” in her current location. The new Parish Pets on Government Street will have double the retail space, a backyard and will allow for her to expand her business.
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“The only way I was moving is if I was on Government Street, because that’s where I wanted to be,” Kipps says. “I wanted to have a yard, which I kept joking with everybody that basically I was looking for a unicorn. I wanted a stand-alone building that wasn’t attached to anything, it had to be bigger than what I was in now, and it had to be in a certain price range.”
After purchasing the building in June, Kipps says she has been in the planning and permit process ever since. The building will have new electrical, plumbing, floors, a renovated bathroom and a reconfigured parking lot. The backyard will be leveled out and the surrounding concrete and gravel will also be redone. Kipps says she plans to utilize the side of the building and add parking closest to Wiltz Drive instead of in front of the building.
Kipps says she has always wanted to have a shop on Government Street but she wanted to start small and grow her business before investing in a retail space on the popular Mid City strip.
“Initially, the prices on Government Street were not in my price range without knowing what the business was going to become,” Kipps says. “We’ve grown so much over the last three years. Government Street is kind of where to be for businesses. You have the exposure, the community and I love how much everyone is passionate about shopping local and small.”
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Kipps says one of her eventual goals is to transform the backyard into a neighborhood dog park. She also wants to offer dog training and special events like dog birthday parties, puppy yoga and puppy pilates.
During the move, Kipps says the South Foster Drive location will close for about a week. She will offer curbside pickup for pet food and essential items during the transition. After the move is completed she plans to sell the building.
This story originally appeared in an Oct. 17 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.