LIHUE — Kauai Pet Supply has moved both businesses to a new location and added a firearms dealership to an adjoining space.
After 16 years as Lihue Pet Shop at Rice Shopping Center, the store has moved to nearby 4442 Hardy St. Ste. 104. The family owned businesses started in 1989, and blending the pet store with JGB Arms is the diversified management strategy of owner and manager Jason Bryant.
One reason for the move was for finding a local landowner who is supportive of this unique business model, he said.
“David Wada, owner and operator of the Old Senda Building, is one of the easiest people I have ever done business with,” Bryant said. “I can’t thank him enough for giving me a home for my new business venture.”
Bryant said his parents opened a full-line pet shop in 1995 at the Rice Shopping Center. They decided to retire and close the store last fall and Bryant began searching for a location more suitable to the inventory and the clientele.
“After examining the old business model, I decided to open up a new business in a smaller, more manageable location,” Bryant said. “Our location on Hardy Street has tons of foot and automobile traffic passing by on a daily basis.”
The store has a state license to import fish and Bryant is still blessed with the lifetime of experience from his parents and siblings that help out on a daily basis.
The fresh water fish come from a handful of vendors spanning from Oahu to the Mainland East Coast.
“It’s hard to imagine that they come from all over the world,” Bryant said. “Although some of the vendors are within the state of Hawaii, the fish do travel around the world to reach their final destination in Lihue.”
Olivia Dilley, 11, of Kalaheo, said she started her aquarium with cold water goldfish and white cloud minnows that she bought at the Kauai Pet Supply. Her tank grew as she learned more about care and maintenance.
Most of the tropical fish in the store do well with a neutral pH balance, so there isn’t much concern about mixing fish that like more extreme acid or alkaline levels together.
“My daughter is a fish lover,” said Dr. Betty Dilley, an emergency room physician and Olivia’s mother. “We come here to buy all of her fish supplies.”
The store also carries a full line of Nutro dog and cat foods, along with treats, bowls, toys and grooming products for pets. They carry shampoos from Quadrupeds and locally made dog snacks from Barkaroo Bakery.
“We carry a large assortment of fish aquariums, fish food and fish medication,” Bryant said. “We also carry dog vaccinations and worm preventative medication.”
JGB Arms
In the back of the pet store is a separate room for the second business — JGB Arms.
As the managing member, Bryant is a federally licensed firearms dealer who handles transactions for firearm purchases and ammunition sales.
JGB Arms perform repairs and modifications of modern firearms in house.
