Success has a bittersweet side

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Cheryl Robello did a lot of things right in setting up her own pet grooming business but never anticipated the painful, personal change it would trigger.

Cheryl Robello grooms Sasha, a golden retriever, at the Pet Haven Salon in Kapolei. It was her husband who encouraged her to turn a sideline into a business, but the stress of starting up cost them their marriage. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Robello even had free labor in the form of her husband to convert a 618-square-foot empty space in a strip mall into an attractive, efficient place to wash, dry and clip dogs and cats. And when she opened for business on Farrington Highway in Kapolei in 2000, Robello knew she'd have to put in long days and nights.

The only thing she didn't expect was that Pet Haven Salon would cost Robello her marriage of 19 years and 11 months.

"The pressure was just too much," said Robello, 39. "It was a lot of stress on the marriage, working a lot of long hours. What I prefer to remember is that this man treated me like a princess for 19 years and I'll never forget it."

It was Robello's husband, Kawika Ho, who encouraged her to quit her civilian management job at Hickam Air Force Base. After 15 years, Robello was tired of supervising passenger transportation and worrying about things such as strategic planning.

"I was really unhappy," Robello said. "David (Kawika) said, 'Hey, you're unhappy so let's figure out something to make you happy.' "

Cheryl and Kawika had grown up next door to each other in 'Ewa Beach and had been a couple since they were 15 years old. She had two poodles as a child and bought a pet grooming book when she was an eighth-grader at 'Ilima Intermediate School.

To make extra money, Robello washed and clipped the dogs for about $20 each. Word spread and Robello developed a regular clientele.

So when Robello started complaining about her Hickam job, Ho pointed her back to pet grooming.

"The whole time she was unhappy, she really wanted to be around animals," Ho said. "I said, 'Go ahead. Open up a business.' "

Robello put up fliers around her neighborhood in 'Ewa By Gentry and was soon washing 300 animals out of her garage. She counted each of the 26 pet grooming businesses on O'ahu and found that they were saturated throughout Kailua, East Honolulu and urban Honolulu.

But from Makaha to Waipahu, there was only shop to serve the mostly middle-class homes throughout Kapolei.

"This is an area of mostly young families with dogs and most of the families have multiple dogs," Robello said. "It was a smart business choice to move out here and it hasn't failed me."

The rent was relatively cheap when Robello became the first tenant in the strip mall that would eventually include 10 businesses. Robello picked the spot, in particular, because she knew that in six months the Kapolei Animal Clinic would open just below her.

Robello began with all of her former garage clients, added 60 more in her first month and watched her client list explode to 2,700 dogs and cats.

Each week she turns away at least 20 customers. And business has not slowed despite the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or the U.S. war with Iraq.

"It's horrendous," she said. "I'm tired. I'm really tired."

She has a couple of unpaid volunteers but needs to hire some groomers to keep up with the demand.

Robello said that by the end of her first year, she doubled her sales. Since then, she has seen 20 percent growth annually.

Part of the attraction, customers say, is the care that Robello provides their animals.

The walls of the shop are bordered with wallpaper featuring puppies wearing baseball hats. The Animal Planet channel usually runs on the television set, and soothing Hawaiian music often plays in the background.

"It calms them down," Robello said. "I tried rock 'n' roll but they don't like it."

When the groomers have trouble with a dog or cat, "we talk a lot," Robello said. "We don't scream, we don't yell. If an animal misbehaves, we give them a time-out, just like any child."

All of the owners of pet grooming businesses will say they offer loving care and treat clients' animals like their own. But customer Judy Fite said many of them would be lying.

"I had looked around at other places on island and they were filthy and stunk. They smelled like wet, nasty dogs," said Fite, who has two Pekingese, named Furby and Gizmo. "Their kennels were old and rusted and I was concerned (the dogs) wouldn't even get water."

Fite liked the cleanliness of Pet Haven Salon and especially appreciated the patient and gentle way that Robello works with the animals.

Fite and her husband hadn't even gone on vacation in nine years because they wouldn't trust anyone to care for Furby and Gizmo — until they met Robello.

Robello offered to board the dogs for eight days in July and even took them to the beach.

"I wouldn't give them to just anybody," Fite said. "I know it sounds just insane. But they're our babies."

It's that kind of customer loyalty that means business will not slow down for Robello. It also means she doesn't have much time to dwell on the personal cost that came with her business success.

She and Ho have two teenaged boys and remain on good terms, Robello said, but there's no going back.

"If I had to choose my business over the marriage, I would say the marriage," Robello said. "But I'm not sure that would have saved it. All I can do is live one day at a time."

Do you know of a small business that has overcome challenges? Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.