Inu Treats offers Asian twist on dog food

Inu Treats debuted last summer in Fremont promising all-natural, holistic dog food with an Asian twist. And if its owners have their way, it will soon go national.

Where else but canine-friendly Seattle, with its Asian influence and love of food, should the next haute dog cuisine come from?

Dan and Tina Garrido started baking Asian-inspired treats at home for their dog, Otis, after he had allergic reactions to store-bought food.

Leaving out common allergens — wheat, corn and soy — they came up with turkey and carrot "paw stickers," as well as bone-shaped biscuits with wild Alaskan salmon and a strip of seaweed.

Otis' problems went away and, with encouragement from friends and family, Dan and Tina set up shop at the Fremont farmers market under the Inu Treats name. (Inu, pronounced EE-noo, is Japanese for "dog.")

A couple of months later, when a Kirkland pet-shop owner expressed interest in selling Inu Treats, the couple realized their "fun weekend hobby" could become serious. They rented a Tukwila warehouse and ramped up production.

"We got the sense that there was really a market for this and that we had a special niche," said Dan, 37, who quit his job selling software to focus on the business. Tina, also 37, still works as an assistant manager of a jewelry store.

They recently bought new manufacturing equipment that will enable them to produce about 20,000 packets of dog food monthly, up from 5,000 now.

Inu Treats come in clear, 5-ounce bags with colorful labels detailing their nutritional content and Asian-inspired names meant to attract dog owners who enjoy eating Asian food. Other offerings include "poochie mochi blueberries," cookies with blueberries, honey and applesauce, and "woof'n rolls," ground turkey breast seasoned with marjoram, sage and basil in the shape of an egg roll.

About 100 retailers along the West Coast sell the treats; Dan and Tina say they'll be in pet stores nationwide by year's end. A possible deal with a large warehouse-club chain, whose name they declined to disclose, also would give them a bigger presence.

"They're super-cute and very unique. I don't know of any other dog treats that are shaped like Asian snacks," said Julie Forbes, a pet-nutrition specialist who handles food purchases for Urban Beast. The South Lake Union store sells Inu Treats for $8 a bag.

Dan and Tina's commitment to manufacturing in Washington state, rather than overseas, also distinguishes them from other pet-food makers, Forbes said.

"A lot of people are going out of their way to find out where things are made, and they're not buying anything from China" because of last year's widespread recall of China-made dog and cat food after some pets became ill, she said. "People are not willing to sacrifice their pet's health."

Dan and Tina, who have since taken in a second dog, Elli, used personal savings and credit cards to get Inu up and running. They also won $5,000 in a nationwide small-business contest conducted by Intuit, a Mountain View, Calif., financial-software company. A panel of three judges picked Inu as one of five favorite small-business ideas out of 1,500 submissions.

Bridget O'Brien, marketing manager at Intuit, noted that all five finalists are focused somehow on children or pets.

"People are treating their pets like children these days," she said.

— Amy Martinez

Tidbits

Koots Green Tea last month closed its last U.S. location, at Lincoln Square in Bellevue, seven months after closing its South Lake Union store. The company, which last fall had about 10 tea stores in Japan, is owned by Kouta Matsuda, who made a success of Tully's Coffee's 300-some stores in Japan. — MA

Tacoma Mall announced four new retailers for its outdoor-oriented addition, currently under construction. Coldwater Creek, The Walking Company, AT&T and BOSE are to open this fall as part of the mall's "lifestyle center." Three additional retailers will be announced soon. — AM

Pallino Pastaria is doubling its number of Italian restaurants and recently signed a deal to sell its Mama's Meat Sauce in Costco's Northwest stores. Pallino is adding locations this summer in Woodinville, Redmond and Mill Creek, and a restaurant at Renton Landing is expected by 2009. Pallino was founded in 1998 by Harry Roberts, a Starbucks executive who has worked for the coffee-shop chain three times, currently as its chief creative officer. — MA

Kool Kreme Soft Serve launched at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts' Issaquah store this week. Kool Kreme soft-serve ice cream debuted at the Tacoma Mall last fall. The ice-cream project is part of a joint venture with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts that was cofounded by Gerard Centioli, CEO of the company that owns Krispy Kreme shops in Washington, Oregon, Hawaii and British Columbia. — MA

PCC Natural Markets is saving 768 gallons of detergent a year with a new floor scrubber at its Redmond store that cleans with electrically activated water instead of detergent. Repair and maintenance guy John Rothwell tested it on olive oil and tamari, and liked the results so well that PCC plans to buy one for its new Edmonds store. The scrubber, called an ech2o, is made by Tennant Co. in Minneapolis, which said the machine costs $5,000 to $15,000, depending on its size. — MA

French fashion company Louis Vuitton reportedly plans to open a second Seattle-area store at The Bravern project off Interstate 405 in downtown Bellevue, joining Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo and Red Door Spa by Elizabeth Arden.

"All the demographics tell us it will be a very successful store," John Slavinsky, senior vice president for real estate and store planning at Louis Vuitton North America, told Bloomberg News.

Louis Vuitton already has a store in downtown Seattle. The Bravern shops are expected to open in fall 2009. — AM

One Hour Parties, a Seattle party company with licensees in California, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and New Mexico, has hired a franchise-development firm to help it create a new licensing program. FranCorp has worked with Subway, Dippin' Dots and other national brands. One Hour Parties' recent events include a national convention for GM Motors in Silicon Valley, Calif., and shipping almost 1,300 ice-cream sundae kits to employees at a dozen Lockheed Martin locations around the country. — MA

Retail Report appears Fridays. Melissa Allison covers the food and beverage industry. She can be reached at 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com. Amy Martinez covers goods, services and online retail. She can be reached at 206-464-2923 or amartinez@seattletimes.com