South Bark, San Diego, CA
OWNER: Lisa Vella and Donna Walker FOUNDED: 2000 LOCATIONS: 1 AREA: 1,200 sq. ft. inside and 1,200 sq. ft. outside patio EMPLOYEES: 3 full-time and 4 part-time WEBSITES: southbark.com and southbarkprofessionalpet.com FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM: southbarkdogwash TOP BRANDS: FirstMate Pet Foods, Fromm Family Pet Food, Fussy Cat, The Honest Kitchen, Natural Farm, NutriSource Pet Foods, OC Raw Dog, Open Farm, Plato Pet Treats, Primal Pet Foods, Smallbatch, South Bark Blueberry Products, Showseason Grooming Products, Tall Tails TOP SELLING-BRAND SPONSOR: NutriSource Pet Foods
Lisa Vella , left, and Donna Walker recently celebrated 25 years of innovation in business.
IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT South Bark — a self-service dog wash, grooming salon and retail store in San Diego, CA — recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The community staple and anchor business has well proven its ability to innovate and adapt.
Co-owners Lisa Vella and Donna Walker met years ago, both members of a dog rescue organization and founders of their local dog park. “One day in 1999, we talked about opening a self-service pet wash in our neighborhood, and the rest is history,” Walker says.
Today they’re known as “The Blueberry Girls,” creators of a legacy neighborhood business and a signature line of blueberry-extract grooming products. They take part in a variety of industry and community groups and committees, run South Bark, operate South Bark Professional Pet Products wholesale, and partner with other local businesses to raise money for animal rescues.
“South Bark does not chase trends, we try to create them,” Walker says. “We think life is an adventure, and we try to create a thought process that mixes innovation with pragmatism.”
An architect helped Vella and Walker retain the original aesthetic emphasis on use and need.
Innovative Renovation
Vella bought a 1951 free-standing, mid-century building in the South Park community, close to both her and Walker’s homes and the dog park.
“We were part of the renaissance and re-branding of our neighborhood,” Walker says.
“Now South Bark of South Park is a solid and prominent member of our business community.”
The retail store has 1,200 square feet of interior space with a same-size patio on one side, covered with sun sails and surrounded by fencing. The building had been a laundromat for the 50 years prior.
Walker says, “The South Park neighborhood was in transition, and the building itself had fallen into neglect. We needed not only routine fixes, but a cosmetic rebirth that still reflected the history of what it once was.”
It took eight months to complete renovation, with the help of friends and relatives and an architectural firm. She says, “We won a special ‘Bulb in the Hood’ Orchid architectural award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation for the whimsical way that we captured the original look and feel of the time it was built.”
Congratulations From One of Your Top-Selling Brands
The unique storefront has a total of 20 windows, with 12 blanketed by a charming custom graphic. “We created a window covering of dogs and cats, treats and fun to draw attention from cars and pedestrians passing by,” Walker says. The distinctive coverings also serve another function: Stopping the intense sun from bleaching out the products in the retail area and blinding the crew and customers.
Walker and Vella took the dirt lot next door and made it into a brick patio. The extra space allows for dog-training classes, seminars, dog-coat brushing and drying, along with socialization and special events. Its wood deck, fencing, metal signage and mesh in the fence slots match the age and architectural elements of the neighborhood.
A large mural by local tattoo artists and muralists Beth Emmerich and Diana DeAugustine covers the building’s patio wall, extending to the front of the building. “We commissioned it to add some eye-catching beauty,” Walker says. “Our South Park neighborhood also has a mural by the renown artist Shepard Fairey on another building, so it was in theme with the look and feel of the area.”
Exterior signage and fun graphics let passersby know what to expect inside.
Visionary Vibe
The exterior and interior’s colorful signage, vibrant colors, tile and art are guaranteed to earn attention. Walker says, “We chose cool and quirky shades and happy and whimsical depths of colors. We wanted people to be happy and comfortable, but not overwhelmed with brightness.”
The interior consists of an open-concept retail and spa area. “The smaller size of the interior limited how much the area could actually be broken up into usable space,” she says. “We realized that keeping it open would also add to a safe flow for clients and our crew members.”
Areas within the open concept include retail, register, self-wash and grooming. “Smaller sections are identified by theme,” Walker says, “dog food, cat food, toys, frozen raw food, treats, shampoos and bathing items, supplements, and collars and leashes.”
Vella adds, “Our retail area is approximately 600 square feet, but we sell the same volume as a 2,000-square foot retail space by constantly moving inventory in and out.”
The one-stop shop carries products for cats and dogs with dog kibble (20%), dog treats (14%), dehydrated (8%) and frozen (6%) foods as the biggest product contributors to overall revenue. Cat products come in at 8%. “Our name, South Bark Dog Wash, obviously doesn’t call out ‘We have cat items,’” Walker says. “We have worked hard bringing awareness that we sell cat food, toys, treats, etc. It isn’t easy, but it continues to grow.” Pet gear and other accessories make up the remaining sales.
They strive to constantly improve the business. “This past year, we focused on increasing our bulk product and successfully raised our profit margins in this area by 10%,” Walker says, referring to the bulk treats they sell. Vella did this by adding more inventory and through smart purchasing from vendors.
Selling a high volume of supplies and products in a small space can be a challenge.
Walker says, “You must find a way to do it so that clients can find the products easily and freely shop, as well as be directed to the proper area. This requires a vibe, an educated and friendly crew, plus clean and labeled retail placement.”
A stained-glass window features South Bark’s logo.
Good Clean Fun
Walker and Vella made the self-service dog wash a key focus of their business. “We fell in love with the innovation of the self-service industry,” Walker recalls.
The spa layout consists of four porcelain and cast-iron Kohler Tea-for-Two extra-large deep tubs laid out in a tiled H pattern, raised on an island. The unique island tub system controls traffic flow while allowing clients to interact with other clients and their dogs or face away. Shoppers can see what the self-wash and grooming services are about and as a result bring in their own dogs. All bathing and related services are done in those four tubs.
“This layout also increases the ability for our spa attendants and crew to easily circle all four tubs easily and swiftly, providing South Bark Blueberry Facials, ear cleanings and teeth brushing,” Walker explains.
The store added full-service grooming as a service when Covid hit. Starting with one groomer, they now have three along with a variety of bathing choices.
“There is self service, where the client washes their own dog and can still have added services like ear cleaning, teeth brushing and nail clipping. Blueberry Facials are always complimentary, by the way,” Walker says. Full service includes spa attendants to wash the dog, do ears, teeth and nails, and grooming includes all that plus brushing and hair cutting.”
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Different drying options are offered on the patio: by hand towel, cool forced-air blow drying and relaxing cage drying. Walker says, “The ability to move the process from bathing inside to outside drying reduces noise and hair issues, frees up the tubs to keep the washing train moving and allows more interaction between the clients.”
The store’s dog- and cat-centered team members — spa attendants, groomers and the front sales team — make the high-end self-service dog wash and spa successful, creating an atmosphere of inclusion and synergy between products and services.
Online scheduling lets clients choose dates and times and a wide variety of full-service spa packages, allowing clients to order exactly what their pet needs. Spa services represent 35% of total revenue for the business.
A lucky pup gets a soothing Blueberry Facial from a South Bark spa attendant.
Perfect Pivots
Throughout the years, the partners have taken on different roles. “For the first 10 years, Donna predominantly ran the business and I ran the wholesale. For the past 15 years, I have run South Bark and Donna manages the wholesale,” Vella says. “Pivoting is the key for us, and it keeps it fresh.”
Another pivot: Last year, they hired social media specialist Angela Keselburg to take on the brand’s social and web presence instead of continuing to do it themselves. “It has improved our reach and followings dramatically,” Walker says.
Honored numerous times through its 25 years, South Bark recently won the San Diego Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for Best Dog Groomer. Over 11K people have viewed Keselburg’s humorous “If winning San Diego’s Best Dog Groomer was illegal” video.
Another popular video — the recent 25 year celebration reel. The celebration itself took place on Oct. 5 and featured swag such as branded T-shirts, canvas bags and limited-edition coins (see Five More Cool Things), plus a local DJ, blueberry-themed, of course, treats for pets, and a signature drink for the humans. The store’s distributors and brand partners sponsored specials.
“We have worked hard to visualize and create a place that has become beloved by our clients, and since we have been around so long, their children who grew up with us and their families too,” Walker says. “Creating and growing our business has made us feel significant and fulfilled, contributory and part of many communities. We feel beloved, appreciated and grateful.”
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Five Cool Things About South Bark
1. SIGNATURE SWAG: The team created catchphrases to get noticed and explain what the brand stands for. Used in advertising, T-shirts, bumper stickers, shopping bags and more, taglines include Spread the Blueberry Love, Bitches Love Our Facials, Home of the Blueberry Facial and A Bark From the Park. Walker says, “You may not always get your investment back from direct sales, but will absolutely get it back in long-term sales and loyalty.” As well as brand awareness.
2. 25TH ANNIVERSARY SILVER COINS: Made for South Bark’s silver anniversary with the logo on the front and Vella and Walker on the back, customers use them to get flash discounts each month throughout the anniversary year. The first 150 participants at the 25th-anniversary celebration received them for free, and now they sell for $25 dollars.
3. 11 SPA PACKAGES: Full-service grooming packages retail from $60 to $95. Themes vary from The Flea to The Itchy Dog to I Got Skunked. The After Beach targets the local crowd, removing sand and residue while treating a dog’s skin issues from the sun and sea. Bestseller Blueberry Love includes the brand’s signature Blueberry products.
4. SIGNATURE BRAND: Years ago, Walker and Vella noticed that self-service clients did not wash or clean their dogs’ and cats’ faces. Walker says, “We created a product, a process and a concept that could be safely applied, and left faces bright and clean but was relaxing for them and smelled good, too.” At first, they were laughed at, but the popularity of South Bark’s Blueberry Facial grew quickly. The first dog and cat facial in the pet industry, the duo sold it to groomers, pet salons, retail stores and customers. Wanting someone to take it to the next level, they sold the brand to Showseason Animal Products in 2018 (bought by Groomers Choice Co. in 2025), but have continued to distribute it.
5. WROTE THE BOOK: The entrepreneurs published The South Bark Blueberry Girls Guide to Success in the Self-Service Dog Wash Industry in 2019. At 181 pages, it covers starting, operating and growing your own business, with specifics on dog wash concerns. It retails for $24.99 and wholesales for $20.
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