Meet Matthew Harris of Natural Dawg Cuisine in Cypress

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Harris.

Matthew, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started when our Boxer, Bruno, got a severe ear infection. After many vet visits and research, we figured out it was food related. We were feeding what we thought was a good food. It met all the buzzwords you see, grain free, no by-products, etc. but there is still a difference in quality and makeup of the ingredients. Just because something is grain free doesn’t mean it is lower in carbohydrates which aren’t very beneficial to pets. There is also a difference in the type of carbohydrate that can affect your pet.

So after the research and switching to a better food that didn’t just meet the buzzwords but also the appropriate nutritional make up, Bruno never had another issue. We wanted to be able to do that for other pet owners that were just like us so we now have Natural Dawg Cuisine. Just a note, we are not associated with Natural Pawz at all. We are separate companies.

Since we have owned it we have evolved for sure. We are constantly battling misconceptions about small businesses like ours as well as local and national competitors. Often times people believe because we are a small specialty store we are “overpriced” which couldn’t be further from the truth. Most items we are the same if not less than our competitors. Then you have the online battle with places like Chewy and Amazon who have made names for themselves as “being the cheapest.” Amazon actually is significantly higher than we are and we are the same or cheaper than Chewy on many products.

This is the future of retail which is why I am super excited about a new service we offer. We now offer free delivery within a 25-mile radius of our store. That makes us accessible to areas all over Houston. We have a fully functioning e-commerce site. You can go online, place your order, and most items will be out to you the same day as long as they are in stock. The best part, we deliver 7 days a week as well. You can’t get more convenient than we are when it comes to getting your pet’s food. We are evaluating our inventory and currently adding a lot more products that we can’t normally carry in our store as well.

Another great aspect we can offer is our ability to get the things customers want. We can get just about any product so if there is something they don’t see but want, all they have to do is ask. If we can get it from one of our suppliers then we will order it and get it to the customer typically within a week but could be as early as the same day. Other places, if they don’t have it you are stuck looking for it on your own. With us, we will find it for you. Even if it we can’t get it, we will try to find it locally for you from somewhere else. It seems that would work against us but we are here to help the customers. It doesn’t give them a solution to just say no.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
If anyone in business has told you its been a smooth road then they are lying. There are always obstacles when running your own business. Being small in and of itself is a struggle. The misconceptions of high prices being a big obstacle. Advertising is an obstacle. You are bombarded with so many options and then trying to figure out which one is working and why? Is that one working because they saw your 5 other advertisements or was that specific advertisement the one and only one they saw.

Even our own products work against us sometimes. The brands we carry will dilute their presence by putting themselves everywhere. They will make claims of being better than the big box, grocery store, and chain store foods but then put their products on the shelf next to these low-quality foods in stores that carry the same bad products as the big guys. It’s actually quite amazing to see them explain why they will go into a place like Petland but not PetSmart. Then they will give these bigger guys better prices than us small guys and the small guys are what helped them get where they are. It’s tough being small.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Natural Dawg Cuisine – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a pet supply and grooming store. We specialize in high-quality pet foods, treats, and supplies and our grooming is second to none. Our groomers are all experienced and have been with us for several years. We have very little turnover(almost none actually) which is important in grooming. People like to know that the same people will be working with their pet.

Our grooming for starters sets us apart. We have a great group of groomers that really take the time to understand each pet and their needs. They have even noticed things about the dogs we serve that have saved lives. They have a pretty intimate relationship with the pets and they notice the slightest of differences. Getting your pet groomed regularly will definitely improve their quality of life. The new thing that is going to set us apart as well as our free delivery service. It’s only a 20 minimum instead of $50 or higher from most places.

Most items will go out the same day as long as they are in stock. We can take special orders if we don’t currently have the item. We will be able to serve the Houston area like no other store can. We are very excited about our delivery. We participate in the deliveries as owners as well. We want to be a part of the process and get to know and understand our customers needs as best we can. We live, shop and work in these communities so we want to be apart of them.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our plans for the future change with the industry. We just launched the delivery service so our focus will be on growing that aspect of the business for now. The biggest change will come to the product line up. We have already started adding a few new items and we will be adding items pretty regularly after the holidays. We want to become the go-to place to shop for your pets food in Houston and the surrounding areas.

Contact Info:

• Address: 24140 Highway 290 ste 200
  Cypress, TX, 77429
• Website: www.naturaldawgcuisine.com
• Phone: 281-256-9364
• Email: info@naturaldawgcuisine.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NaturalDawgCuisine/

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