Jake's Place & Offutt's Wheels

It came as a huge surprise to me and everyone else - n'est pas? I mean, when you heard about Shaw's closing, didn't your jaw just drop? I was so shocked I wasn't ready to totally believe it. I even went so far as to have my boyfriend call and ask for store hours just in case someone answered.

Surprise, surprise - the message dropped right into voice mail announcing the closure of the Shaw's store location in Penngrove. Not a rumor - it's fact.

There are so many things that this means though. Equestrians in Sonoma County have been fortunate to have more than just a handful of options, but I'd say Shaw's was one of the more well-known well-established tack stores. So for equestrian enthusiasts it means that their options have become (drastically) more limited. For our store it means the same thing. We have enjoyed a relationship with Shaw's in the past that allowed us to call and inquire about the availability of an item, and they have called us as well for the same reason. Try as we might, you just can't have it all - there's too much out there!

But we're going to give it our best try. Starting August 17th, we've expanded our store hours to accomodate those of you that would like a little more freedom to shop on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Our Sunday hours will be 12 - 4, and Monday, Tuesdays will be 10 - 5. I would say that this new schedule will be something like an experiment. It's been more than just a passing thought for a couple months now that it would be a good idea to be open Sundays, but with the recent closure of Shaw's it seems necessary to be open 7 days a week.

Like anything else though, it is important to have a reason for being here. Gone are the days that people would load up the car with a few friends and make the long drive to Petaluma - the internet's changed a lot of things for those of us that maintain tack shoppes. I've seen more than 1 long time tack store go by the wayside because of the internet. I like to think that as convenient as the internet is (I'm guilty of doing some of my own shopping there!), there's still nothing that compares to actually looking at your purchases, touching them, and having the chance to try them on. Our prices (I like to think) are as realistic and fair as anything you'll find on the internet - and that's a big part of what I hope will keep you coming back to our quaint little tack shoppe - that, and the fact that you'll have access to a local resource that can get you just about anything you might want. There are limitations I suppose, but we've got more longevity than anyone else in the industry (really!).

I look forward to seeing you in the near future!

Pam