small business spotlight
The Pet Pantry EDITED BY AMBER KEISTER PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER are choosing to eat local, organic food, so it’s not surprising that health-conscious consumers are also seeking healthier alternatives for their animal companions. Enter The Pet Pantry, which has been delivering its own brand of all-natural dog and cat food to owners’ doors since 2005. “Animals have always been of great importance to me, and I wanted my company to involve this passion I have for their health and well-being,” said Thor Wendland, founder of the Apex-based company. “With The Pet Pantry I can be involved with animals while also serving their families, solving problems, and improving their nutrition on a daily basis. I have been doing this for over 16 years and have never regretted my decision to open The Pet Pantry.” A dog or cat's digestive system plays an important role in its overall immune system, Wendland says, making diet an essential component in a pet’s health.
The Pet Pantry employees prepare pet food orders that will be delivered directly to customers' homes.
That’s why the company’s recipes include human-grade meats, vitamin-rich grains, vegetables and other ingredients selected to promote the pets’ overall wellbeing. The Pet Pantry’s food has no byproducts, corn, wheat or chemicals. Plus, it’s made in the United States. Not only is the food different, but his business model is different, which Wendland recently explained. What services or products do you offer that are different from chain pet-supply stores?
Why did you decide to formulate
We are different from chain pet-supply stores because we do not have a brick and mortar location, which keeps our overhead low, and allows us to invest more into the
your own pet food?
Jeremy Izquierdo fills orders at The Pet Pantry warehouse in Apex. 28
MAY 2021
quality of our ingredients. We quickly deliver our customer’s orders at no charge. We are also directly responsible for the quality of our products and stand behind everything we sell with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. In over 16 years of operation, we have never had a pet food recall. We also train our team members to help customers with nutrition issues their pets are having. For many pet-supply stores, food is not the emphasis and is a shrinking part of their business.
My goal with The Pet Pantry was to deliver a superior quality product at a fantastic value. I wanted our food to use high-quality
Max Garrett loads a Pet Pantry van, getting ready for the day's deliveries. Most pet food orders are filled within 24 hours.
