ST. LOUIS — Locally owned Treats Unleashed, which was founded by Ian and Teresa Miller in 2002, has acquired the five remaining Bentley's Pet Stuff retail locations in the St. Louis and Kansas City markets.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Treats Unleashed expects 35% of projected growth with the acquisition, officials said.
Bentley's Pet Stuff, based in suburban Chicago, sells pet food, supplies and accessories. It still has about 53 locations in seven states, but none in Kansas or Missouri, according to its website.
Treats Unleashed acquired Bentley's Pet Stuff's St. Louis-area locations in Cottleville, Wildwood and Kirkwood, as well as Kansas City-area locations at Tremont Square and Shoal Creek.
"With this acquisition, we are excited to welcome the local Bentley's teams to Treats Unleashed, and we look forward to introducing many more customers to the Treats Unleashed experience," Teresa Miller said in a statement. "This expansion not only allows us to grow our presence in the St. Louis and Kansas City communities, but it also allows us to continue our mission of investing in our local pet communities."
In the coming months, Treats Unleashed plans to remodel the storefronts of the five acquired locations and will begin offering a wide selection of products for both dogs and cats, including a new pet bakery, self-wash stations and grooming capabilities. The bakeries will be up and running this year, while the grooming and self-washing stations will be operational in 2020.
The local management and sales teams of Bentley's Pet Stuff are joining Treats Unleashed, which includes 20 employees. Treats Unleashed now has 120 total employees. Many of Bentley's staple brands such as Fromm Family Pet Foods, Primal and Stella & Chewy's will remain on the shelves, officials said.
Bentley's Pet Stuff, based in suburban Chicago, was founded by Lisa and Giovanni Senafe, as well as entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC's reality series "The Profit." After an aggressive expansion, the chain had grown to 67 locations before shuttering 17 of its stores this spring, including one in O'Fallon, Missouri. A location in Olivette closed at the end of September, leaving the three St. Louis-area locations acquired by Treats Unleashed.
