Since 2020, Roxie's Barkery has been making all-natural treats for dogs after owner McKenna Burzimati realized there weren't many options for pet owners. Burzimati started the business in her kitchen and now operates out of storefront at Norad Mill. Burzimati works with her stepfather, John Kozik, and her mother, Ann.
Tell us about your company and how it got started.
Roxie's Barkery started from a love of dogs and was inspired by my own dog, Roxie. What began as a small idea centered around creating wholesome, handmade treats for our own pups quickly grew as more people discovered our treats and wanted more for their pets. That growth eventually led us to open our Barkery & Boutique in North Adams, where we now offer our handmade treats which you can watch being made in our on-site commercial kitchen, fresh baked goods, pet food, and many other essentials that have been carefully curated ensuring everything meets our high standards of being high quality and all-natural.
We love being a place where people can safely shop for their pets and Roxie's has grown into much more than a typical pet store. We host monthly events and activities for pets and their people and regularly host fundraising opportunities to support local shelters and rescues. Creating a welcoming community around pets and giving back to the community that has supported us has become just as important to us as the products we sell. Roxie is at the heart of everything we do, and we're proud of what a little idea inspired by my heart dog has turned into and the impact Roxie's has created.
What inspired the business or idea originally?
The business was originally inspired by my dog, Roxie, and my desire to provide better quality options for pets. I saw a need not only here in the Berkshires, but across the pet industry as a whole, for more wholesome, thoughtfully made food and treats with ingredients that pet parents can feel good about giving their animals. I wanted to create a place where people could find those options while also making shopping for their pets a fun, educational, and welcoming experience.
What products or services does your company provide?
Handmade high-quality all-natural small-batch dog treats and baked goods. In addition to our handmade items, our store provides a large selection of carefully curated high quality pet essentials, pet food, and pet supplies. We also offer monthly grooming services, an enrichment drop off service, and private shopping sessions.
What makes your products or business unique?
Our pet treats and baked goods are made in small batches with quality ingredients in our on-site commercial kitchen right inside of our store. Shopping with us is an extremely unique experience of being able to see the treats you feed your pets being handmade.
We're constantly creating new flavors and unique products you won't find at a typical pet store. We're able to get creative and make things especially fun for pets and their people, whether it's a custom birthday cake, seasonal baked treats, frozen products or holiday meals for dogs. Because we're a small, independent business, we have the flexibility to be creative, listen to what our customers and their pets want, and continually evolve and expand what we offer.
What are some of your most popular or important products/services?
Our handmade pet treats, our custom cakes, our handmade Frosty Pup-Cups. We offer a service called Private Shopping Sessions — this is very popular for dogs who are socially selective and need some space away from other dogs and people. Our Private Shopping Sessions give these dogs and their owners the opportunity to shop in our store after hours so that socially selective dogs can calmly, comfortably and safely enjoy our store. We also offer monthly grooming services with a professional groomer, these services have been a huge asset to the community and fully book each month.
Why has Berkshire County been a good place to build your business?
We've received an incredible amount of support here, not only from customers but from local newspapers, local chambers of commerce, and many amazing local businesses.
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How important is the local community to your company?
Our local community is extremely important! We wouldn't be where we are today without the support of the people and small businesses around us, and we really believe in giving that same support back. Being a small, locally owned business allows us to build genuine relationships with our customers, their pets and other local businesses, and we love being able to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. Whether it's supporting other small businesses, giving back to local shelters, or simply creating a place where people and their pets feel welcome!
Do you source locally or work with other Berkshire businesses?
We work with other Berkshire businesses whenever we can. We recently collaborated with Hot Plate Brewing Co. in Pittsfield on a treat flavor made with their spent grain — this created a great collaborated sustainably sourced dog treat that's sold at our store and their brewery. Our monthly grooming services are partnered with a local groomer, our annual photo events are partnered with a local photographer, we partner with local shelters all of the time, we host local business pop-ups to go along with some of our bigger annual events when applicable. Supporting other local businesses is very important to us! We also have a few Berkshire businesses products being sold in our store and we have our treats available in quite a few Berkshire based businesses as well!
How many people does your company employ? We're a family-run business so myself, my stepfather John and my mom Ann are who you'll always see at the store or at pop-up events around the Berkshires.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
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How quickly Roxie's grew from a home-based business into a brick and mortar location. We opened our storefront relatively soon after starting the business due to such high demand! We then quickly realized there was a need for us to expand even further after opening, which was both exciting and incredibly validating!
What's something people might be surprised to learn about your company?
Something people might be surprised to learn is that Roxie's Barkery was founded when I was just 22 years old. Also, a common funny mistake is that my name is not Roxie, my business is not named after me, it's named after my pup. (lol)
What keeps you motivated?
Our amazing customers and the stories they share with us about how Roxie's has impacted their lives and their pets lives. We're incredibly grateful for how often we hear from people who have found a treat that has helped their pet, discovered a new way to enrich their pet's life, or simply found a place where they feel understood and welcomed like family.
Hearing that impact, not only here in the Berkshires but from customers and wholesale partners beyond our local community, is incredibly meaningful. Knowing that something that started with my own dog, Roxie, is now positively impacting so many other pets and their people is what makes us so motivated to keep growing and impacting more pets' lives!