KAPA‘A — They might not have known about it when they were in third grade, but long-time friends Kekoa Bender and Emerson Tumbaga always had a love for animals.
That love has recently turned into a business venture as Tumbaga and Bender started Paradise Pets in Kapa‘a approximately six months ago.
“I have always loved animals,” said Bender, the owner of the shop. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to get some business experience at a younger age.”
This is the first business venture for Bender and Tumbaga who are both 21 years old.
The duo, who graduated from Kapa‘a High School, specialize in fresh-water fish, aquatic plants and small birds.
“We wanted to focus on customer service right away,” said Bender.
Tumbaga added, “At first because we are new owners, things were a little tough. But after about a month or so, business picked up and we started getting a lot of positive feedback. Things have gotten much better.”
Bender and Tumbaga offer just about everything for customers who intend on setting up an aquarium or fish pond.
“A good pet store is needed and necessary on this island,” said Bender. “We want to be able to give our customers the best selection of items and offer them knowledge about the care of the fish.”
Since taking over at the store, Bender and Tumbaga have been remodeling to “make the business more accessible for families.”
Among the future plans are to add approximately 20 more fish tanks and offer the tropical Discus fish.
According to Bender, Paradise Pets would probably be the only pet store that offers the Discus fish on the island.
Bender and Tumbaga plan on offering the new fish sometime in January or February.
“We have some strong customers that keep coming back,” said Bender. “It amazes me to see how much they have helped our store grow. We wanted to thank them for their support.”
Paradise Pets is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday although the store will be open for special orders on Sunday.
For more information, call Bender or Tumbaga at 823-8484.
Business Editor Barry Graham can be reached at 245-3681 Ext. 251 or mailto:bgraham@pulitzer.net
