At Muttgarita Hut, It's Tropical Treatment for Dogs

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville for dogs? Sure, why not.

Entrepreneur Shannon Matula said owning her own business has been a longtime dream.  You might even say it’s genetic. Matula’s mother and aunt owned a business for 32 years. Even her grandmother, a professional sports agent, was a business aficionado.

But it was her dog Kaya, who she rescued six years ago, that proved to be the ultimate motivation for her current business venture, Muttgarita Hut, an online store.

“I began getting involved in dogs, and I’m a huge lover of the beach,” Matula said.  “I love tropical and have always wanted to live on a beach.”

Matula, who has relatives in the Youngstown area, was in advertising and marketing in the Pittsburgh area when she picked up and moved by herself to Washington, D.C., scoring a job with the then brand new LivingSocial.com.

“I went from one of the top ad agencies and joined LivingSocial,” she said. She watched as livingsocial expanded from a ground-floor operation of 40 people to more than 5,000 employees.

She left the D.C. area when her fiancé was transferred to Cleveland, and two weeks ago the couple settled into Avon Lake.

Taking the incredible learning experience from LivingSocial, she has used her knowledge of Internet marketing and social media and applied them to Muttgarita Hut.

“I was inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville,” she said. “It’s a total state of mind. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have the concept for dogs.”

She spent the past year researching tropical-themed items for canines, networking with wholesalers. Her items, including niche shampoos, dog treats and collars can be ordered online through her site.

“That was the hardest part,” Matula said. “It’s such a niche product. We’re not making our own products…yet.”

The result was a colorful website with unique tropically-inspired items for dogs.

She said the possibility exists for her business to make its own treats and she is considering the idea—further down the road—of an indoor play spot for dogs (and owners) that would include a play area, pool and dog bar.

“I want to eventually create a destination for dogs.  It would maybe have BYOB for owners because they would need an escape also,” Matula said.

She is also planning on having a display at the Love-A-Stray Fur Fun 5K event in April.

Matual is also available for dog walking. She can be reached at 330-727-2639 (cell) or by email at shannonmatula@gmail.com.