Petco last week opened a 1,350-square-foot “health and wellness kitchen” for pets at its flagship New York City store in a partnership with JustFoodForDogs. Trained chefs will cook fresh, human-grade food exclusively for dogs and cats in the kitchen.
JustFoodForDogs, founded in 2010, operates 10 standalone kitchens largely on the West Coast. Petco already sells JustFoodForDogs products in about two-thirds of its stores.
Created by a team of in-house veterinarians, all JustFoodForDogs offerings are formulated with fresh, whole food ingredients that are USDA-certified for human consumption in recipes nutritionally balanced for pets. The company can prepare custom diets for pets with health challenges. The meals cost $6 to $12 and popular offerings include combinations such as beef and russet potato; chicken and white rice; and turkey and whole wheat macaroni.
Featuring state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances, the Petco kitchen will operate similarly to JustFoodForDogs’ existing kitchens with chefs producing 2,000 pounds of food daily, seven days a week. Nutritional consultants from JustFoodForDogs will be in-store to guide consumers with their selections based on their pets’ needs.
Pet spending has doubled between 2005 and 2018 to more than $72 billion with much of the growth driven by pet-doting Millennials, according to the American Pet Products Association. Trends toward both prepared food offerings as well as healthy, unprocessed foods overall are also spreading from humans to their pets.
“The ability to provide fresh, made-before-your-eyes pet food with real, unprocessed human-grade ingredients is game-changing, both for Petco and for the pets and pet parents we serve,” said Petco Co-Chief Merchandising Officer Nick Konat in a statement.
In May, Petco became the first major retailer of pet food to remove all foods containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. The removed items accounted for about $100 million of Petco’s $4 billion in annual sales.
JustFoodForDogs is set to open three more standalone kitchens this year, including locations in Boston and Chicago. Plans are in place for the company to add more in-store pantries and kitchens in Petco stores nationwide over the next four years.
