{"id":17503,"date":"2026-09-22T19:14:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T19:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=17503"},"modified":"2026-09-22T19:14:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T19:14:56","slug":"we-constantly-hear-wow-what-customers-actually-notice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=17503","title":{"rendered":"“We Constantly Hear ‘Wow'”: What Customers Actually Notice"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tThis story appears in the<\/p>\n

\t\tSeptember 2026\t<\/p>\n

\tissue of
\n\t\tEntrepreneur<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\tSubscribe \u00bb<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

Do you know what customers see when they walk into your store? Or more importantly, what do they remember when they walk out? For many business owners, there\u2019s one refrain they hear again and again. Maybe it\u2019s a first impression of the space, or praise for the service, or surprise at the offerings. Whatever it is, it\u2019s likely that customers will take that comment to the bank. Here, five of America\u2019s Favorite Mom and Pop Shops\u00ae share what their customers find comment-worthy.<\/p>\n

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Customers notice the: Longtime employees and huge selection at<\/strong> P.U.P.S. of Lewes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n
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\u201cWithout question, the thing I hear most often is how friendly and knowledgeable our employees are. They take the time to remember the names of dogs and owners alike. We have one employee who has been with us 21 years, two for 11 years, and one for five years. The other thing we hear is how unique our shop is by the breadth of our offerings. We don\u2019t carry a handful of collars \u2014 we carry a \u2018wall full\u2019 of beautiful U.S.-made collars, a \u2018wall full\u2019 of fun and durable toys, rows of healthy and yummy treats, and an array of gifts for pet lovers.\u201d \u2014 Owner Linda Madrid, Lewes, Delaware<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of P.U.P.S. of Lewes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cCustomers often comment on the sense of discovery and childlike wonder that stepping into our store evokes. The original owners wanted there to be a menagerie of animals for kids to discover among the books, from birds to reptiles to cats to fish. It truly is a place to come and explore. Our staff loves interacting with kids and recommending books. We also host a weekly story time and author events throughout the year. Our store is very community-focused, so we love bringing in new customers and interacting with all of our regulars.\u201d \u2014 Owners Jess Fuentes, Anna Hersh, Timothy Otte, and Beth Wilson, Minneapolis, Minnesota\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Wild Rumpus Books<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers remember t<\/strong>he: Vibrant decor at Latinx With Plants<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
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\u201cThe first thing people almost always comment on is the decor \u2014 the vibrant colors. We hear it all the time, and some customers have even told us that walking in feels like a hug. That\u2019s exactly what we wanted. In a city that can feel cold and rushed, we wanted to create a space that feels warm, joyful, and full of culture. It\u2019s colorful, layered, full of little details, very rasquachismo<\/em> \u2014 and people feel that the moment they walk in.\u201d \u2014 Owner Andi Xoch, Los Angeles, California<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Latinx with Plants<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers love the<\/strong>: Warm, welcoming ambience at<\/strong> Gadzooks Salon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cWe constantly hear, \u2018Wow! It\u2019s so welcoming in here!\u2019 Visually, our palette is warm and deep \u2014 the opposite of the current beauty and wellness trend of \u2018light and white.\u2019 Materials like wood, leather, and velvet help our space impart a sense of comfort and history, while our many windows and plants keep it bright and airy. Every single person who walks in our door is greeted with a smile, a warm welcome, and an offer of refreshment \u2014 coffee, tea, sweets, brought to them on a tray \u2014 to enjoy. Letting people know that they\u2019re seen, that they belong in our space, and that we\u2019re delighted to see them is our secret sauce.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Owners Kim and Scott Myles, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Gadzooks Salon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers praise the<\/strong>: Food that tastes like home at<\/strong> Havana\u2019s Cuisine<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cCustomers often tell us things like, \u2018This Cuban sandwich is better than the ones I\u2019ve had in Miami.\u2019 For us, this is incredibly high praise. Miami is considered a hub of Cuban culture with its proximity to Cuba, large Cuban community, and access to authentic ingredients. Here in the Midwest, it can be difficult to recreate that same sense of familiarity. It is especially meaningful when Cuban customers deliberately make Havana\u2019s Cuisine a stop while traveling through St. Louis. Nearly every week, someone visits us during a road trip specifically because they want to try our Cuban food.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Tamara Landeiro, St. Louis, Missouri<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Havana\u2019s Cuisine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Do you know what customers see when they walk into your store? Or more importantly, what do they remember when they walk out? For many business owners, there\u2019s one refrain they hear again and again. Maybe it\u2019s a first impression of the space, or praise for the service, or surprise at the offerings. Whatever it is, it\u2019s likely that customers will take that comment to the bank. Here, five of America\u2019s Favorite Mom and Pop Shops\u00ae share what their customers find comment-worthy.<\/p>\n

\n

Customers notice the: Longtime employees and huge selection at<\/strong> P.U.P.S. of Lewes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cWithout question, the thing I hear most often is how friendly and knowledgeable our employees are. They take the time to remember the names of dogs and owners alike. We have one employee who has been with us 21 years, two for 11 years, and one for five years. The other thing we hear is how unique our shop is by the breadth of our offerings. We don\u2019t carry a handful of collars \u2014 we carry a \u2018wall full\u2019 of beautiful U.S.-made collars, a \u2018wall full\u2019 of fun and durable toys, rows of healthy and yummy treats, and an array of gifts for pet lovers.\u201d \u2014 Owner Linda Madrid, Lewes, Delaware<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of P.U.P.S. of Lewes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cCustomers often comment on the sense of discovery and childlike wonder that stepping into our store evokes. The original owners wanted there to be a menagerie of animals for kids to discover among the books, from birds to reptiles to cats to fish. It truly is a place to come and explore. Our staff loves interacting with kids and recommending books. We also host a weekly story time and author events throughout the year. Our store is very community-focused, so we love bringing in new customers and interacting with all of our regulars.\u201d \u2014 Owners Jess Fuentes, Anna Hersh, Timothy Otte, and Beth Wilson, Minneapolis, Minnesota\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Wild Rumpus Books<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers remember t<\/strong>he: Vibrant decor at Latinx With Plants<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cThe first thing people almost always comment on is the decor \u2014 the vibrant colors. We hear it all the time, and some customers have even told us that walking in feels like a hug. That\u2019s exactly what we wanted. In a city that can feel cold and rushed, we wanted to create a space that feels warm, joyful, and full of culture. It\u2019s colorful, layered, full of little details, very rasquachismo<\/em> \u2014 and people feel that the moment they walk in.\u201d \u2014 Owner Andi Xoch, Los Angeles, California<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Latinx with Plants<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers love the<\/strong>: Warm, welcoming ambience at<\/strong> Gadzooks Salon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cWe constantly hear, \u2018Wow! It\u2019s so welcoming in here!\u2019 Visually, our palette is warm and deep \u2014 the opposite of the current beauty and wellness trend of \u2018light and white.\u2019 Materials like wood, leather, and velvet help our space impart a sense of comfort and history, while our many windows and plants keep it bright and airy. Every single person who walks in our door is greeted with a smile, a warm welcome, and an offer of refreshment \u2014 coffee, tea, sweets, brought to them on a tray \u2014 to enjoy. Letting people know that they\u2019re seen, that they belong in our space, and that we\u2019re delighted to see them is our secret sauce.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Owners Kim and Scott Myles, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Gadzooks Salon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Customers praise the<\/strong>: Food that tastes like home at<\/strong> Havana\u2019s Cuisine<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cCustomers often tell us things like, \u2018This Cuban sandwich is better than the ones I\u2019ve had in Miami.\u2019 For us, this is incredibly high praise. Miami is considered a hub of Cuban culture with its proximity to Cuba, large Cuban community, and access to authentic ingredients. Here in the Midwest, it can be difficult to recreate that same sense of familiarity. It is especially meaningful when Cuban customers deliberately make Havana\u2019s Cuisine a stop while traveling through St. Louis. Nearly every week, someone visits us during a road trip specifically because they want to try our Cuban food.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Tamara Landeiro, St. Louis, Missouri<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credit: Courtesy of Havana\u2019s Cuisine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This story appears in the September 2026 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe \u00bb Do you know what customers see when they walk into your store? Or more importantly, what do they remember when they walk out? For many business owners, there\u2019s one refrain they hear again and again. Maybe it\u2019s a first impression of the space,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-green-brands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17503\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}