This month marks our twentieth year in business, and later in the month we will be hosting a series of events to mark this special occasion. From our humble beginnings in a 575-square foot “garage”, in the back of Watters Garden Center, to our new location on Willow Creek Road, we’ve experienced a lot—and grown!
Looking back over the years, it is interesting to reflect on our challenges and, ultimately, our success. Two years after opening at Watters, we moved into the Safeway shopping center on Willow Creek Road. We got through the downturn of the economy in 2008, and in 2010 we opened our second store, in Sedona.
In 2013, we had some significant challenges, including a fire in our Prescott store, which forced us to move temporarily into a vacant suite in the same shopping center. Shortly after moving, a car ran through our glass store front! I found myself sleeping on the floor of the store to protect our inventory, as anyone could have walked right into the store with the broken windows.
In 2016 we expanded again. We more than doubled the size of our Prescott store and we opened our third store, in Flagstaff. It was also in 2016 that we added a Hallmark Gold Crown department to the Prescott and Flagstaff stores. Running three stores was a heavy load for me, especially, as I was on the road weekly working at the other store locations. Over time, we felt the Prescott store suffered a bit in my absence.
In 2017, our Sedona store manager was diagnosed with Leukemia, and she passed away the following year. This tragic event led to the decision to close the Sedona store in 2018. Little did I know that going from three stores to two would be so freeing! It wasn’t long before I started thinking about selling the Flagstaff store, and going down to just one store.
Then Covid hit. The beginning of 2020 was tumultuous. The economic impact of Covid was dramatic in the beginning. We were able to stay open, but it was very challenging and very stressful. In 2021, after trying, unsuccessfully, to sell the Flagstaff store, we closed the store when our five-year lease expired.
Having the one flagship store allowed us to focus on buying property for the Prescott store. After paying commercial rent for eighteen years, we were ready to take the leap of faith and purchase our own commercial property, which we did, in October of 2021.
However, the Covid-caused downturn in the economy, rising interest rates, supply-chain issues, and work force shortages all contributed to an extended process in getting our new building remodeled. It would be eighteen months from the time we bought the building until we were able to take occupancy—in April of this year.
If you have ever owned your own business, you can probably relate to the struggles of being a small business owner. However, I find joy in all of these experiences. In spite of the challenges we’ve had, we feel humbled by the success we’ve enjoyed, and feel so very blessed.
The last week of October, from the 23rd through the 28th, we are going to host a week-long 20th Anniversary Celebration to thank the community for their support. Our theme for our anniversary week is “Giving Back to the Community”. I’ll write more about it next week!
Our wild bird photography contest exhibit is now open to the public for voting. Please come and cast your vote for your favorite pictures. The pictures are displayed in our conference room, Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Until next week, Happy Birding!
Eric Moore is the owner of The Lookout, in Prescott, where you will find a Hallmark Gold Crown Store, wild bird products, and Vortex and Swarovski optics. Eric has been an avid birder for over 55 years. Eric can be contacted at eric@thelookoutaz.com.
