SILVERDALE — Paws Gourmet Bakery is moving in and settling down.
This bakery is a little different than the average: they focus on fun, whimsical, hand-baked treats that are healthy and nutritious — and for pets.
“The company currently offers over 60 different hand-decorated bakery treats, including donuts and cannolis,” said Tim Hall, one of the owners. “Some of them are seasonal … but the majority are everyday recipes in a variety of designs, shapes and colors.”
Paws Gourmet Bakery was originally a home-based operation in Marysville, Washington, operating as Paws Gourmet, Inc. The owners opened the business in 2003 and quickly outgrew their operation. In 2007, they moved to a 4,000-square-foot warehouse. Then, in November 2016, they announced their retirement.
In December 2016, Hall and Traci Woody-Carmen purchased the business to keep it going; they also decided to move the operation to Silverdale.
“We decided to purchase the assets of that company because they were known and respected for their product consistency, great customer service, damage-free deliveries and the care that went into the sourcing of ingredients and the baking of the products,” Hall said. “Paws Gourmet Bakery will continue in that tradition, with some aggressive expansion plans. The quality of the product, the incredible customer service and the price point all combined to make Paws Gourmet a favorite of all the retailers that carried them, including Naturally 4 Paws.”
Hall is the owner of Naturally 4 Paws. He added that many of the treats they stocked from Paws Gourmet “were the hands down favorites of most Naturally 4 Paws customers.”
He said they didn’t purchase the company Paws Gourmet, Inc., but instead acquired “everything that made the company great: a professional, wholesale baking operation using commercial equipment; proven and proprietary recipes that contain no corn, wheat, soy or genetically modified ingredients; an existing customer base; and an incredible pair of owners that are committed to our success through thorough training and assisting in the transition in every possible way.”
Paws Gourmet Bakery is mainly a wholesale provider, Hall said, so the products can be found in locally owned pet stores including Naturally 4 Paws, in Silverdale, and B.I. Bakery on Bainbridge Island. The treats can be found in many other pet stores throughout the United States as well.
“The company does offer retail sales through our Ecommerce website, but there is no public storefront,” Hall said. “Our company encourages — and prefers — consumers to shop locally and acquire our treats at their favorite local pet store. However, if someone doesn’t have a store near them, we can sell direct, but one of our primary missions is to be innovative and help local pet stores be successful, especially in today’s challenging marketplace.”
Paws Gourmet Bakery is still transitioning into its new location in Silverdale. According to their website, the company will begin filling and shipping orders again by March 6.
“Once we get all of the previous customers stocked with treats (they’ve been out since November), we plan on visiting all the local pet stores on the peninsula in hopes of enticing them into carrying our freshly baked products,” Hall said.
Hall said that as a retail store owner, he has “a unique perspective” on being a treat manufacturer, and he has a lot of ideas “that we are eager to test,” including introducing grain-free bakery treats and fresh dehydrated jerky products.
“We are a family-owned company that treats our four-legged companions like royalty,” Hall said, “and we will only make the kinds of products that we would feel comfortable giving to our own fur kids.
“We are not just making and selling treats, we are selling trust, confidence and the knowledge that you are feeding a healthy treat made in the Pacific Northwest by a family that dotes on their fur kids.”
To learn more about Paws Gourmet Bakery, visit www.pawsgourmet.com.
Michelle Beahm is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. She can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishin g.com.
