Cats Like Us is located on Main Street in Tonawanda, NY, a northern suburb of Buffalo. It's not too big or too fancy, but this 2 block stretch is a slice right out of Americana. In a half mile of Main Street, USA you can find 3 clothing stores, 6 restaurants, a half dozen antique stores, thrift stores, liqueur stores and more. And to top it off it is right on the Erie canal, a historic and beautiful stretch of waterway that has recently seen some fantastic restoration.
So if you're up for a day trip, Tonawanda is a nice place to visit. But I would like to say that its a nice place to live and do business as well. Not because the rent is reasonable, or that the bank and post office is next door, or that the junk store down the street always has what we need or even that parking is always good. It's a good place to do business because there is a small town feeling of community.
Where everybody knows your name
Maybe the best, and simplest example of the pleasure of living here is going to the post office. When orders are packed we often hand carry them a block over to the post office and mail them out. After a very short time, the post office has learned who we are and when ever I go, Michael at the counter never fails to say "Hi Andrew, how's it going?". That's right – he knows my name.
Running a boutique store I know this is no small feat. Everyone knows us but we see hundreds of people a week and I don't remember everyone... but this is a way of doing business that we have embraced and we believe there is truly value in good service. Go to Wal-Mart and you're a number – go to Cats Like Us you're a valued customer.
(We) Shop local!
And this isn't where the good will ends. We go out to eat and do our shopping at locally owned shops and restaurants because we know how hard it is. We support those businesses that do a good job and take care of us, just like we strive to take care of our customers. Money spent locally will be spent and stay right here on Main Street USA, not sucked out to corporate giants that are paying for ever sprawling facilities.
So go out and explore small Main Streets like the ones in Tonawanda, discover some new shops (like Cats Like Us) , find some truly unique gifts, and make a few friends while you're at it. We hope to see you someday!
-Andrew
Find out more about Cats Like Us on our About Us page
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