GENEVA (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - 20 years ago, Sheila Spitza and her husband Joe decided to go into business together after being inspired by their dog, Lilly.
"We ran into some health issues with Lilly, and I started learning about raw food diets and alternative therapies, like chiropractic medicine and such," said Spitza. "And, I saw such a huge improvement with her."
So they pulled their life savings and opened Wet Nose, a pet boutique in Geneva Commons.
But, it doesn't look like your typical pet store.
Walk inside the 8,600 square-foot shop and you'll see something between a restaurant, grocery store and your own home.
"We have a fresh food deli where fresh food is made every day in our kitchen," Sheila said. "We have an in-house baker, so she makes all of our cakes and cupcakes and homemade ice cream, and she'll make custom cakes," Spitza said.
Wet Nose has a wide variety of freshly made meals and treats.Rachel Pierson
What's helped Wet Nose nose ahead from big box competitors is its spa-like dog washing stations.
"Some places offer that already, but you're going into a room that you're sharing with 3, 4, 5 other dogs in these stainless steel tubs. That's not what you get here. You have your own private room, it's all subway tile. The dogs get to step on steps to get into the tub, and our whole design behind what we did was to make it as stress-less and fear-free as possible," noted Spitza.
Wet Nose offers deluxe bath spas.Rachel Pierson
Spitza said the other point of pride is the Bark Room, a 1,200 square-foot space used for dog training classes, workshops and boujee birthday parties. That same space can be rented out by anyone looking to give their dog a safe place to run and play.
" People can rent out that space for half-an-hour or an hour on a rainy, cold day or even if it's a sunny day, and their dogs can just go in there and blossom."
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Wet Nose's 8,600 square foot store meets any need a dog might have.Rachel Pierson
