DETROIT – Q: Fadi Qaqish, how did you get started?
- A: Detroit K-9 was established in December of 2003. Our first location was on Livernois and the Lodge Freeway. I owned the gas station across from that building. It used to open a month or two out of the year and sold dog houses, straw and rock salt in the winter but I noticed that the store was never consistent. Once it closed down, I decided that it was my turn to give that location a shot.
- Initially, we wanted to open a “You Buy, We Fry” fish market, which is very popular in the city of Detroit. But once I started to remodel the building, I consistently had people walking in asking if we had any dog food to sell. Come to find out, this place was one of the biggest dog food stores in Detroit for about 20 to 30 years.
- I decided to try something out. I went to a warehouse and bought a bunch of dog food, dropped it off at the building and went back to working at the gas station that day. At the end of the day, I went back to the building and found out we sold almost everything we had there. I immediately knew we needed to change direction and at that moment Detroit K-9 was established.
Q: Did you grow up with pets?
A: Yes, I grew up with pets, and I currently have a dog named Zach.
Q: Best and most challenging part of your job?
A: The best part of my job is that at Detroit K-9 we change lives, whether it’s an employee that’s progressed or helping a family out that is getting a pet for the first time. The most challenging thing about my job was finding a team of people that share the same vision.
Q: Are you a dog or cat person?
A: I am a dog person.
Q: Advice for someone who wants to start their own business
A: Honesty, loyalty, and hard work always pay off.
Q: How did you hear about Vote 4 the Best
A: Some of our customers brought it to our attention that we were nominated. We won three consecutive years, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Q: Anything you want to say to the people who voted for you?
Thank you, Detroit, for making us number one!
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: I moved to the U.S. in 1994 with an empty pocket and a dream.