Buffalo Boss Babes : Cheryl and Maggie Lamparelli
Today's Buffalo Boss Babes are Cheryl Lamparelli & Maggie Lamparelli from Buffalo Barkery. When I first met Cheryl and Maggie they just radiated happiness and kindness- it was contagious! We chatted like old friends. They are the two bad ass women owners of the cutest little pet store inside the Market Arcade on Main St in Buffalo. The store is adorably curated and they have the CUTEST visitors in their "office". We chatted with Maggie and Cheryl about all things pups and buffalo!
What made you start or brought you to where you are today? Tell us your story and what makes you a Buffalo Boss Babe.
C: I always was a career driven individual and would dream about owning my own business, but was never sure what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until Maggie and I started talking about dog food and dog treats and comparing recipes that I realized I would love to do something with dogs/animals. Maggie had always had a soft heart for animals, but I did not grow up with them. It wasn’t until I was wife and mother that I experienced the love that dogs bring into your world. The discussion moved on from there and we both were on the same path. Do what we love and help animals at the same time. So as the story goes, we both gave up our careers and followed our dreams. Both of us have strong work ethics and are very passionate about what we do.
M: I grew up having dogs in the house from the time I was born. I have always been obsessed with animals, dogs especially. My fondest memories of my childhood are the discussions I would have with my Grandma about how amazing animals are and how it is our responsibility to care for them all. We still have those same discussions to this day!
My dogs are my FAMILY, my CHILDREN. I have always been conscious of what my dogs eat and even made their food at one point. Making special treats for my dogs on holidays or just because was something I always did. I started to experiment with my own recipes. I talked to Cheryl about this and we started trading recipes. Then one day we talked about sharing our biscuits with others. Long story short, we came up with a plan and a few years later BOOM! Buffalo Barkery was born and we haven’t looked back! We will be celebrating the second anniversary of our store opening at 617 Main Street inside of the Market Arcade building in downtown Buffalo on April 15.
What does being a Buffalo Boss Babe mean to you?
C: It means being part of a strong community of women who have the same struggles and ambitions as myself, but come together and network to help each other succeed.
M: Being a Buffalo Boss Babe means being strong and following my dreams while pushing myself and our business forward. It means stepping outside of my comfort zone while doing what drives me. To me, it also means raising other businesses up and encouraging other business owners.
Who are your favorite people to follow?
C: People who love their dogs as much as I do and other small businesses.
M: For cute animal pictures and videos @thedodo
I am so inspired by all of the work that Rebecca Corry does to help end abuse, discrimination and to save the lives of pit bull “type” dogs with her Stand Up for Pits Foundation. @standupforpitsfoundation
Who doesn’t love a good motivational quote every now and then? @createthelove is my go to for that.
I love to travel and to take in all of the beauty that nature holds. @beautifuldestinations has gorgeous pictures of amazing places around the world.
@iloveny to help me plan my next adventure.
What are your favorite things to do in the area (Buffalo and greater WNY)?
C: Walk or drive around the city checking out all the different neighborhoods. Love to hang out near the water. Outer harbor is a great place to take our pup. Love a good patio bar, especially if they allow dogs!
M: First of all, Buffalo has AMAZING food!! I love trying all of the different restaurants in the area. In the summer, I love taking my dogs to dog friendly patios. I also love to be outdoors exploring the different trails and parks. Walking around all of the different neighborhoods and taking in the amazing architecture is another one of my favorite things to do.
Tell me about your favorite collaborations or a dream collaboration?
C: Working with the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter. Being able to hold events to sponsor the shelter and helping animals get adopted has been extremely fulfilling.
M: I would love to collaborate with Lisa Vanderpump and organize a huge National Dog Day event with her here in Buffalo. I would also love to collaborate with her on a super fabulous line of dog and cat accessories with the proceeds going to help the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter and various other rescues in the area.
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world who would it be?
C: My Dad, whom I lost when I was 20.
M: I would love to sit down with Lisa Vanderpump and have a cup of tea with her while discussing her dog rescue and the process of starting a rescue from the ground up. We could also discuss our National Dog Day event and our line of accessories. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to hear all about her life in Beverly Hills and what it’s like to own all of those animals!
What are your hopes, dreams, goals? Big or Small.
C: I hope that we can continue to grow our business. The growth in our business will help us to achieve our dream of being able to do more for shelter/rescue animals.
M: I want to continue to organize events with proceeds going to help local animals. Our 2nd Annual Barks at the Brewery event is scheduled for August 12 at Resurgence Brewing Company. Mark your calendars! I also would like our shop to move to a larger location to better accommodate all of our customers.
I have always dreamed of starting my own dog rescue. There are so, so many dogs out there that need homes and I would love to provide a safe and loving place for them while they wait to find their forever homes.
Tell us about your family (2 Legged , 4 Legged) ?
C: I’m married (32 years) and my husband Nick is the greatest! We have 2 children, a son who is married and has a beautiful wife and son (my grandson) and Wembley my grand dog. A daughter, who is a Special Ed teacher and has Mia my other grand dog. Then there is my four-legged baby Bruno. He is a 9-year-old Chow/Lab mix rescue who is goofy, sweet and the most loveable boy ever!
M: My husband Drew is my biggest supporter! We have been together for 16 years and he makes me laugh everyday. He’s the best dog Dad and is as big of an animal lover as I am. Drew helps so much behind the scenes with Buffalo Barkery.
Ruby Woo is a 14 year old Chow mix who is the biggest DIVA I have ever met! We adopted her when she was 4 months old and she has always been very confident. She knows what she wants and how to get it! She’s the perfect mix of sass and sweet and we love her so much!!
Opal Blu is a 2 year old Staffy that we adopted from the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter about a year ago. She is the kindest, sweetest dog I have ever met- mixed with just the right amount of naughty. We adopted her after losing our 10 1/2 year old black lab mix named Olive. I truly believe we were meant to find each other.
This part is our Feel Good Five :) These are just fun quick favorite questions I like to add.
Color:
C: Coral
M: Black
Food:
C: Seafood
M: Linguini with Clam Sauce
Super Power:
C: Dog Whisperer
M: Animal Mind Reader
Animal:
C: Dogs
M: Dog
Season of the year:
C: Spring
M: Summer
Favorite thing about Buffalo:
C: Food and the people
M: I love the pride that Buffalonians feel about their city!
Be sure to visit Cheryl and Maggie at Buffalo Barkery ,617 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14203 to check out their amazing store Located in the Market Arcade next to Expo Market. Follow along for CUTE ANIMALS and more on all of their social pages @buffalobarkery.
Until next time babes!
ALL THE PHOTOS IN THIS FEATURE ARE BY MARLEE and ME Photography!! <3
Buffalo Boss Babes is a woman run blog series featuring women in and around the city of Buffalo N.Y.
If you know someone doing amazing things for our community, past and present, young and old..... send us a message at buffalobossbabes@gmail.com
Be kind to everyone you meet.
Here's to strong women! May we know them. May we be them
