Santa Maria Sun / Spotlight

Spotlight on: That's FETCH!

By DAVID MINSKY

Hand-blended “petuccinos,” yippy-skippies, and canine risotto—what do all of these things have in common? They’re items that Linda Greco plans to put on the menu of her “Baestro Bar” at her new business, That’s FETCH!, a pet boutique that will be located at 3564 Skyway Drive, when the developing Skyway Center is complete.

That’s FETCH! isn’t a pet store, but what Greco calls a pet “bowtique.”

SPOIL YOUR PETS That’s FETCH! is a new Santa Maria pet boutique owned by Linda Greco (pictured center) that will feature one-on-one grooming sessions by her daughter, Colette Florey (right); and Letti Lemus (left), pet massages, and a 'Baestro Bar' with menu items like hand-blended 'petuccinos' and canine risotto. PHOTO BY DAVID MINSKY

It’s a place where pet owners can take their pets to be groomed, bathed, massaged, and otherwise spoiled. Virtually everything inside the store is geared to appeal to all senses of the pet—calming smells, soothing textures for the paws, music, visual items at the pet’s eye level, and, of course, yummy treats from the Baestro Bar. Bright, repurposed furniture will adorn the interior. Everything in the store is based on the idea of what they’d like if they were pets, Greco said.

All in all, Greco plans to make the entire interior of the store appealing for the customers, which also include the pet owners. Greco calls it a store with a purpose. It’s meant to be fun and a family environment.

“We really want to encourage bonding with their pets,” Greco said. “There’s a lot of people out there and it’s them and their dog. They don’t have a spouse or don’t have children.”

Groomers will be available for one-on-one sessions. So far, Greco has hired two groomers, one of whom includes her daughter, Colette Florey. The other groomer is Letti Lemus. They have nine and 11 years of experience, respectively. All three are Santa Maria natives and have several pets, which include dogs, cats, and chinchillas.

The store will be environmentally friendly with respect to the bathing system, Greco said, which will infuse shampoo with the bath water. The bathtubs will be plastic instead of stainless steel to reduce clanging noise, which she said stresses pets. Greco is also pondering package deals for pet massages and may even include a licensed masseuse for pet owners as well, if they care for a massage.

Other than pet services, there will be items for purchase such as (more) treats and pet accessories.

There will also be a space inside the store reserved for classes and informational sessions about pets and pet ownership that will occasionally include guest speakers, Greco said.

That’s FETCH! will host not only guest speakers but also pets from local shelters in need of adoption. Having worked with the local shelters, Greco understands the heartbreak of pets that only want to be adopted. Not only does it encourage people to adopt, but it also benefits the animals by getting them out of the shelter for a day.

“We want people to think of adopting,” Greco said. “Our pets do speak to us. They communicate with us through body language.”

The store is four years in the making. Greco researched locations in the Los Angeles area, but ultimately decided to stick to Santa Maria. The store is custom-built with approximately 1,300-square-feet of space. Greco anticipates an opening date sometime in late spring, around May or possibly June.

That’s FETCH! will be among several stores coming to the new Skyway Center. There will be a brewery, a wine tasting room, a gourmet burger restaurant, and a Crossfit-style gym. Greco said it’s her mission to bring something different to the Santa Maria Valley.

As an added bonus, Greco’s store is located within walking distance of the W.O.O.F. Pac off-leash dog park at Waller Park.

“It will bring life to the corner,” Greco said. “We knew what we wanted in a business and as we began researching similar businesses, we found most components of what we wanted, but none had all. This added to our excitement and motivation to create something special—a store with a heart, soul, and purpose.”

For more information, visit the store online at thatsfetch805.com or their Facebook page at facebook.com/thatsfetch805.

Highlights

•  On March 23, the Santa Barbara Foundation announced the selection of Meketa Investment Group as its new investment consultant. The group was selected after an extensive review process and received board approval on March 23. Meketa was selected for its expertise and strength in research, ability to customize reports, strength of the consultant team selected, knowledge of foundations and endowments, and its West Coast presence, although the company is based in Boston with offices in Portland and San Diego.

•  As of March 1, according to Westar Associates, several new businesses are coming to Santa Maria’s College Square shopping center located at 570 Betteravia Road. They include Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies, which will occupy space D-9; Edible Arrangements, which will be located in unit A-2A; and Smartphone Fix, which will occupy space D-8. Westar Associates is the company that operates the College Square center, which is anchored by Starbucks and Panera.

Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.