Filed Under Businesses

Reno Pet Food Market

Starting out as a grocery in 1923, the space has offered pet supplies, doughnuts, appliances, and more.

The Reno Pet Food Market opened at 745 South Virginia Street in the midst of the Second World War, as grain and meat rationing strained production for many pet food manufacturers. In response, the entrepreneurial Combs family cooked up a special vitamin loaf for cats and dogs from a recipe featuring wild horse meat, powdered milk, ground carrots, soy bean and corn meals, all cooked onsite in a giant steam pressure cooker. The full-service market also offered fresh cuts of meat, pet care products and accessories, free delivery, and even a drive-through window.

Rachael Combs ran the place while the men of the family served their country during the war. Upon their return, an ad reassured the public, “To those who inquired as to whether the Reno Pet Food Market has changed hands, we are happy to say it has not—we are merely giving the girls who carried on so ably in our absence a well-deserved rest.” At various times, the store sold puppies, kittens, turtles, birds, and even Shetland ponies.

The building itself long predated the Combs’ shop, having opened in 1923 as a grocery operated by Ruel O. James and then by Louis E. Gunter. In 1928, Gunter opened a new market just up the street inside the Giraudo Apartment building, and the vacancy was filled by Ruth’s Bakery and then Oden Cyclery until the Combs family opened their store in 1943. It finally closed its doors in 1975.

The second storefront, 743 South Virginia, was the home of Dick Lusetti’s home appliance store from the 1940s to the 1980s. Before that, it housed a donut shop run by Jack Heric, and even earlier, Elmer Brown’s cleaners. From the start, Lusetti did a brisk business, capitalizing on postwar consumer demand for everything from the new automatic washing machines to deep freezers. Since the 1980s, various businesses have operated in the twin commercial spaces.

Images

Mobile advertising
Mobile advertising The official car of the Reno Pet Food Market touted some of its specialties, from Vitamin Loaf and Meat Loaf to a free bone for every dog. Source: Special Collections, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
Opening Day
Opening Day A newspaper advertisement announced the store's grand opening. Due to the wartime rationing of meat, the proprietors were quick to clarify that the horse meat for sale was not for human consumption. Source: Reno Evening Gazette Date: March 1, 1943
Local Landmark
Local Landmark The dual storefront brick building was one of the very first commercial structures on this stretch of South Virginia Street, dating to 1923. Source: Special Collections, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
Drive-Through Window
Drive-Through Window One of the store's most unique features was the drive-through window for customers on the go. The window has since been bricked over. Source: Special Collections, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
Changing Times
Changing Times The brick has been painted, but the building's distinctive arrangement of bricks on the front facade can still be discerned. Creator: Alicia Barber Date: 2016

Location

745 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV

Metadata

Alicia Barber, “Reno Pet Food Market,” Reno Historical, accessed November 8, 2024, http://renohistorical.org/items/show/128.