Closed for Business: Beastly Bite, 139 Seventh Avenue
Tuesday, July 10, 2025 at 12:21PM
Pet food store Beastly Bite, on Seventh between Carroll and Garfield, has closed. The store's been packed up, the phone line's disconnected, and there's a "For Rent" sign in the window.
While pricey, the store was well-stocked and had a loyal following. Most Yelp reviewers agreed, however, that service was indifferent at best and that the products sold there could be purchased far more cheaply elsewhere, driving customers to the giant Petco that's only a couple blocks away. There are two other locations of Beastly Bite, both on Court Street.
One distressing thing that I noticed while peeking in through the windows on Sunday: a lone cat was in the locked-up store, by itself. Hopefully it hasn't just been abandoned in there, and that someone has plans to come back for it!
Closed for Business in Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (23)
Um, you should report the lone cat to the SPCA or a rescue group.
@Danielle I called the ASPCA but they were unable to do anything because there's no proof it's being neglected- someone can still be feeding it.
Another local small business bites the dust, due to greedy landlords and realtors who hold out for higher rents from chain stores. It's disgraceful. Give it a few more years, 7th Ave will be an urban strip mall.
Or maybe the store just wasnt competitive with the tons of other pet stores in the nabe
I talked to the guys inside on Saturday; they said the cat would be taken to one of their other stores (they have 9, all in NYC). The cat's name is Tom; he's a sweet boy. They better be taking care of him.
The guys also told us that when Unleashed (the Petco chain) opened a couple of blocks away Beastly Bite lost half its business. Now that they've knocked their competitor out of business, let's see how long their prices stay low.
9 stores sounds like a chain to me. A fairly medium sized chain, in fact.
this place was terrible. To suggest it (and everything else) is because of "greedy landlord" is just so ignorant and naive. What about the huge number of independent places that have opened on 7th Avenue this year like Noella Brew Bar and Dada Cafe and the pottery place and Talde and Konditori and the list goes on and on and on....
I don't believe the crap about Petco Unleashed putting them out of business. They told me years ago they were doing poorly. Maybe they should have had better customer service and lower prices and I would have shopped there.
I like to support local businesses but the service at Beastly was never any good and the prices on things I buy were much higher than any other pet store I go to in the area (NYC Pet is my *main* pet store). Friends had some really awful customer service experiences there.
The service so far at Petco has been fantastic and they have a great selection of products (and a public restroom, which I always appreciate). Large chain store or not, they are running a much better business than BB was.
I believe that Petco is the cause, but certainly not to blame. My wife and I just adopted a new puppy and everyone at Unleashed has been really nice, attentive, and actually knows a lot about animals. Even though it's a big corporate establishment, it's rare to see a place staffed full of people who actually seem to WANT to be working there.
Looks like an ideal space for a bar or a bakery, doesn't it?
Linkin, please don't call people you don't know 'ignorant'. I'm far from it, and happen to be a small business owner in Park Slope.
Starbucks, Barnes and Nobel, Petco, Cheeburger, Pinkberry, Radio Shack, Dunkin Donuts, etc.. These are all stores that make Park Slope less the wonderful village it is, and more about corporate giants trying to get little shops out. Yes, some places like Talde have opened, but Sette, Chiles and Chocolate, Uncle Moes, Ozzies, Leaf and Bean, etc.. have closed. Last year, I believe it was about 90+ small, privately owned businesses that went under (don''t slam me on that number, it's my recollection of the article I read). It's not about this one store, it's about the whole culture and uniqueness of the neighborhood.
Sette was god awful. Leaf n Bean had no stock that someone in 2012 would want and Ozzie's was some of the worst coffee I've ever tasted. Uncle Moes was no prize either. These places were mediocre on good day and they closed because they either had a product the neighborhood didn't want or were poorly run. Or both.
The neighborhood has seen a huge influx of locally owned and operated establishments including those that I mention along with many many others. Your focus on a handful of chains (most of which that have been open for years) shows you choose to look for the bad before the good. I can name 25 new independents which have opened this year and about 5 chains. Your numbers are so far off, it's ridiculous.
The mom and pops in Park Slope are a great idea, but most are horribly operated with crap hours and a product that no one wants. You want to attract locals, stay open past 6pm and hire people who look happy to be there.
Give me a break, independent stores do very well in PS if they are run well. Your list of independent stores out of business (Sette reopened under a new name on 8th and 15th) is a case in point- they all had long become tired.
Thats capitalism and many corporate stores can be great neighborhood additions, Petco is a case in point. And I bet you can count on one hand the number of people who'd prefer PS without the Barnes and Noble.
New independents (or tiny local chains) that have opened in the neighborhood recently/past year:
Dada Cafe
Noella Brew Bar
Culture
Pure Bistro
Painted Pot
Taro Origami
Talde
Du Jour (coming soon)
Corzo
Habitat
Pony
Life Emporium
Dr. Brendan mac repair
Konditori (on 5th and 7th)
Brooklyn crepes and Juice
Burger Bistro
Bareburger
South Brooklyn Pizza
Valley Shepherd Creamery
Uncle Barry's Bar
Monro Bar
Skylark Bar
Pork Slope (coming soon)
Yogurberry
L train vintage
Lulaby Baby
Area kids and cuts
67 Burger
Purbird
larger Chains that have opened recently/past year:
Beauty Bar
Dunkin Donuts
Primary Care Dr.
Pinkberry (coming soon)
Petco Unleashed
What am I missing here in the crying wolf that Park Slope only has chains opening?
Oh and add to the independent list:
Kos Kaffe
Housing works (small local chain)
People's Pops
Tons more I'm forgetting....
There is a certain South Slope coffee shop that is tired too, just like Sette was. For great coffee, go across the street to Grumpy. That and Southside are the best coffee in the neighborhood. Without an attitude.
fight fight!!!! keep the banter going please!
Ever time I went into Beastly Bite the shelves were empty empty empty and the person behind the counter (and it was someone different all the time) never asked me if I needed help. That is why they closed, I shop at the pet store on 5th avenue between 2nd and 3rd Street, the owner there is nice and if he doesn't have something you want, he will get it for you.
I have to agree with those that have called out the myth of the dying independent store in Park Slope. I would almost always prefer a locally-owned establishment to a large chain (ie, Cheeburger Cheeburger), but every single one of the "lost" businesses quoted deserved to die (and add Tonio's to that list). I can also think of a number of additional shitty places that could join them with no loss to the neighborhood (cough - Sotto Voce - cough).
I think the one place you can see a shift towards crappy chain establishments is in the area around Methodist Hospital and I doubt that Park Slope residents are the cause of that shift. Personally, I couldn't be happier living in South Slope, which has seen a wholesale transformation of lower Seventh Avenue into a great collection of places to eat and shop (and please don't forger Deluxe, my fave new place). Plus, Sixth Avenue in South Slope has new places like Soigne, Sweet Wolf's, and Piccolli and Fifth Avenue is getting into the act as well (now THAT's a street that could stand to evict some horrid chains like Mandee, DII, etc).
Love D2! LOL, they have some great buys on things you can't get elsewhere in the neighborhood, Save On Fifth also for that matter. I could live without Mandee's, I am way past the age for shopping there, but, they have been in that location for quite a long time. Anyone remember the furniture store that was there for years before them?
Even Cheeburger, Cheeburger wouldnt be nearly as bad if they changed their signage (something they still can do at any time).
Ironically most places in the country would welcome it as compared to McDonalds, Burger King, Jack n Box, Wendys etc
I have to agree with those who say Beastly Bite caused its own demise.
I tried to continue to support them after Unleashed opened but when a store is continually out of the food you need for weeks on end (with no idea when it will come in), and puts "mistaken" prices on items and only corrects the price if you question it, then I'm going elsewhere.
In all fairness, the staff was always super friendly, but my dog likes to eat on a regular basis, not when a store gets stock in.
The greedy landlords and higher rents is an ignorant comment as was pointed out in the list by linkin. It's the same BS we hear constantly from the Left.
Omitted from the list is the fabulous Caramello.
By the way, Leaf and Bean is re-opening close by to their old spot as has recently been mentioned on this site. Hopefully they'll blow off the dust and cobwebs and have fresh merchandise.
What other stores were looking at the Sette space?