A new boutique-style business for dogs and their owners is opening on 501 Broad St. in downtown Augusta.
Fetch 501, is “so fetch” according to the co-owners, and the business is having a soft opening Tuesday, June 14 and a grand opening Saturday, June 18.
A catch phrase from a 2004 film inspired the name of the business on the corner of 5th and Broad that offers dog grooming, training and boarding as well as a boutique-style retail section.
“There is a movie ‘Mean Girls.’ There is a catch phrase in that, ‘That’s so fetch.’ The 501 came from the street address.” Tonya Boswell, co-owner of Fetch 501, said
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The phrase in the film meant something was cool, and the business name is a play on words with dogs fetching toys. Whether through the reference to the film from 2004 or the art on the walls and even etched into some of the brick in their business, co-owners Tonya Boswell and Jonathon Anderson want their business to be one that appeals to young downtown dog owners and also dog owners of all ages. Their 4,000-square-foot business is strategically placed near the new Fifth Street walking bridge that is going up.
“I lived downtown for almost 15 years, and I have had dogs. The thing about downtown is there is nowhere to buy dog food. We want to put more of an emphasis on high-end dog food in Fetch 501. Most of our products are going to be luxury, boutique items,” said Anderson. “We are not competing with big box pet stores. We offer more boutique items that you cannot find in normal stores – items from all over the world.”
Boswell said they have hiking items, dog clothes, strollers and so much more.
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They also plan to have fresh, frozen bones with some meat on them from a local butcher.
“We will not have mass produced items in the store. Fetch 501 is more of a boutique befitting downtown. It’s younger. It’s fresher, modern and fun, and it’s targeted to a more downtown crowd,” said Anderson.
The storefront with the boutique items flows into the grooming area that, in turn, flows into the boarding area. Everything is separated in the business, though.
Anderson is no stranger to dog-related businesses. He once owned what was once called the Broad Street Barkery, so he has plenty of experience. He sold that business, and it soon became Barkery on Broad, which is still open.
Anderson said he has some experience training dogs but that they have a certified dog trainer on staff as well as a groomer. They have four employees – the two cross-trained co-owners, Anderson and Boswell, a groomer, and trainer.
“We have a certified dog trainer who has been in the business for years. He is also a certified force free dog trainer,” Anderson said. The dog trainer was unavailable during the interview.
Force Free dog training is just as it implies. There is no force or punishment used to train the animal.
Boarding is another service Fetch 501 will offer, but they are not going to overcrowd the dogs. Anderson said that they do not want to make their facility a stressful environment and will only be boarding up to 20 dogs at a time.
“We have a big outdoor area they can run in, too. It is well-manicured, and they can be very active there,” he said. Fetch 501 has 6,000-7,000 square feet outside to take the boarded dogs, and the outdoor area is surrounded by 28-foot brick walls.
They offer most types of grooming services for all breeds.
Boswell is a veteran and she said the business will be veteran-friendly. Anderson said he wants the business to be family-friendly as well.
Boswell and he both joked that they are family friendly in a different way as well because they are cousins.
The business partners hope for a crowd at their June 18 grand opening. Light refreshments are planned at the event
“We will have a meet and greet with all the staff then. You will be able to meet the groomer, the trainer and us,” he said.
Ron Baxley Jr. is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
