New Limerick business Barker and Bowes aim to “make the world beautiful one dog at a time.”
The professional dog grooming salon, store, bakery, and party specialist opened in Newtown, Annacotty, Co. Limerick in late 2017.
Owner Owen Gallagher said: “There are fantastic businesses located at the centre and we were thrilled with the opportunity to locate Barker & Bowes there. It is a little hub of activity and with the park nearby, we have lots of four-legged paw fall.”
“We decided to open because we simply love dogs. We wanted to have some fun and create a lovely welcoming environment for dogs and their owners,” added Owen.
“We had seen some beautiful concepts in London and the United States and decided that this business was one that we could successfully impact on, here in Limerick.”
Barker and Bowes currently employs three full time staff. “Business has been going very well, our customers love the shop,” said Owen.
“We have a little boy that comes in every other day to buy his dog a pup cake. Sooner than buy himself sweets, he treats his puppy. It is heart warning to see his love and affection for his pet.”
Parents of pampered pooches can book grooming appointments 24/7/365 using the online booking system.
Owen said: “The grooming side continues to grow. Customers love the fact our grooming packages are comprehensive and cost effective and we are just about to launch our doggie parties and events too, which we are very excited about. We can cater for your dog’s birthday or indeed any celebration that is associated with your pet. Birthdays, adoption anniversaries, seasonal parties, doggie weddings, launch parties, fundraisers, etc. You name it we can cater for it! Our typical birthday parties would cater for up to 14 humans and six dogs.”
Barker and Bowes has invested in the latest technology to be sustainable and efficient when using water, a major resource for the business.
“With our eco hot water system, warm air is taken from our grooming parlor and ducted back to our heat pump and used in the heating process. It keeps the parlor at a comfortable temperature and also removes stale air. We use only about 25% of the electricity that a normal water heater system would provide which translates to about 300ltrs of hot water per day for the equivalent of 50 cent.”
Ensuring their customers also benefit from the latest technology, Barker & Bowes will soon have a custom TV channel piped into the premises specifically for dogs. “It’s a channel that has sounds and colours that dogs find appealing and we are really looking forward to rolling this out,” said Owen.
“One of the things that makes us different is that we exclusively curate products from around the world, that not only meet a dog’s needs, but far exceed them. We are working with some really top brands and we can’t wait to bring their products to the Irish market starting with our Limerick store,” concluded Owen.
Visit barkerandbowes.com for more information.