Meet Melissa
Originally from the South Bronx, Melissa Mitchner, founder of The Bark Shoppe, has lived in Harlem for the past 14 years. Harlem has always felt like home for her, “I was actually born at Mount Sinai Hospital. So I guess my mom had a plan,” she jokes. Reflecting on her early memories in Harlem, she recalls taking the Bx15 from the Bronx at just twelve years old to attend junior high school at the Family Academy. She also fondly remembers getting her hair done at Alicia and Joy, after school programs at Minisink, MH cookouts, games at Tri-City, the Rucker, and Kingdome, the African American Day Parade, and hanging out at the Skate Key, a place where the Bronx and Harlem would meet. She spent most of her time Uptown, “I was an Uptown girl at first, so I never used to come past 125th,” and now ironically has her own business on 115th Street, which has become a major source of connection for her today.
Melissa founded her pet care and grooming business, The Bark Shoppe, in 2012. While she never had dogs growing up, she saw a niche that she could fill in the pet care industry. She was driven by the desire to bring a high level of service to Uptown and be an example of Black leadership in the pet care industry. Melissa had unmovable faith in herself; she emptied her savings and secured family investment on the condition that she finished school. She says, “I feel like I've always had entrepreneurs in my family, just not to my extent…. I think the ingenuity of Black people, from selling fish dinners to pitty pack games to susus…. Like, that collective. I was like, 'Oh, it's not unfathomable.'” After working at Best Buy for 10 years, working up the corporate ladder and helping to open several locations throughout New York, she took a leap and started The Bark Shoppe in just 90 days. She told the co-op board where her business is located, “I want to be a pillar in this community…. If you give me a shot, I can tell you that I'm committed to not only building this corner, but building community.” And through hard work she has been able to do that through organizing back-to-school drives, book exchanges, food pantries, coat drives, and partnering with local high schools to give students their first jobs and internships.
“I feel like I’ve always had entrepreneurs in my family, just not to my extent…. I think the ingenuity of Black people, from selling fish dinners to pitty pack games to susus…. Like, that collective. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s not unfathomable.’”
However, it has not been easy getting to this point. Melissa recalls almost having to sleep at the shop and use her New York Sports Club membership to have a place to shower, “I didn't have a Plan B, so Plan A has to work…. I'm just that committed.” She was and still is dedicated to using her business as an avenue for connection, “I always say, let these four legs be the bridge to the two legs… Service on both ends of the leash. It's about the pets, but it's [also] about the people.” Through trial and error she was able to cultivate her brand in a way that resonates with the community. Her business started out as Paw Prints of Harlem and had a high end concept with a luxury chandelier in the store, but it did not speak to the community and even deterred customers. Making an effort to connect with residents, Melissa pounded the pavement and spoke to residents to get their feedback and shared her vision for a community based business. Armed with the valuable insight of Harlem residents, about four years in, she leveraged her credit cards to reinvest in her business. She got into the Columbia Community Business Program to gain valuable skills, redesigned the storefront, created products and after two months, reopened as The Bark Shoppe.
Her grandmother raised her to have that sense of community, “At the time… the language wasn't ‘community.’ It was like, 'So-and-so needs help. We on our way.'” She aims to give back to Harlem and the Bronx, she says, “I think especially after 12 years… I'm so much more passionate about giving other people opportunities to bring out their gifts…” Recently, one of her groomers told her that she never imagined living in a doorman building but this job provided that for her, and for Melissa that is the most fulfilling part. She is also moved when interview candidates express a desire to work for a Black woman, highlighting the significance of her presence in the industry. Looking forward, Mitchner is focused on expanding her business and building generational wealth within the community. “I'm excited about the collective, the businesses that are here. I think our commitment to community and preserving community… is also important, because although there are a lot of changes, it's important for people to see that we're still here and we're still... investing in [Harlem].”
“I’m excited about the collective, the businesses that are here. I think our commitment to community and preserving community… is also important, because although there are a lot of changes, it’s important for people to see that we’re still here and we’re still... investing in [Harlem].”
Outside of her business, Melissa makes an effort to connect with the people in her building, connecting with the kids, helping the parents on her floor, and checking on the elderly residents in her building. As the neighborhood and demographics are changing, she worries about preserving that sense of community and retaining the stories and voices of people who have been here their whole lives. She says, “I remember like, $5… that was a token, that you could go round trip, a slice of pizza, and… [a] soda, and that was, like, everything to us. And even the McDonald's on 140th. That was… one of my best friend’s first jobs.... [That] McDonald's is iconic because… that's where we used to meet and… play music in the jukebox and… dance…. I'm thinking about… going to different places, Showtime at the Apollo... Amateur Night, you know, just a lot of those things... I want people to remember, and I want The Bark Shoppe to be a part of that, you know, Harlem legacy.”
With everything she does, she aims to keep the community at the forefront. Learning about the history of Harlem from her grandmother, who came to New York from Baltimore to attend NYU, has helped her understand the value of preserving Harlem legacies. Her grandmother reminisced about The Dunbar, Lenox Terrace, and Esplanade and seeing Black educated people living in these buildings. She also recounted attending parties where Malcolm X was expected, seeing prominent Black leaders like Percy Sutton and Adam Clayton Powell in the community, and going to the original Red Rooster and seeing Duke Ellington play. Melissa also has fond memories of Harlem landmarks that are no longer here including Lenox Lounge, M&G's on 125th, and Copeland's on 145th. Melissa is determined to keep those memories alive as she continues to build her business and life in the neighborhood. With a love for both Harlem and the South Bronx, Melissa Mitchner remains passionate about giving back to the communities that shaped her and contributing to Harlem’s continuing legacy through The Bark Shoppe and her community involvement.