Tinley's Indie Pet Store To Close, Owner Grateful To Have Lived Dream

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Tinley Park business owner shared with her supporters this week the decision she'd been dreading: her beloved indie pet store will close in just days.

Amanda Daly, of The Barketplace in downtown Tinley Park, first announced in November that her store would close, but on Tuesday said its last day open will be Sunday, Jan. 19.

"I've been dreading this, but it's time to let the cat out of the bag," Daly first wrote in November. "We're closing. We fought a hard fight, but the world just isn't kind to small businesses sometimes. As costs continue to rise, prices for both retailers and consumers, and the continued growth of e-commerce and their fast free shipping, we just can't keep up. If you aren't a big guy in this world, you just don't catch a break."

Daly in August 2024 issued a plea for the public's support, as sales suffered and the shop's future was in jeopardy. Daly has been in the pet retail field for 20 years, and The Barketplace was her dream brought to fruition, she told Patch. She got her start as a teen working on a horse farm on her summer breaks.

"Since I was 16, it's all I've done," she said. "Working with animals was always the plan, always what I wanted to do."

With her beginnings in smaller pet stores, Daly saw the impact of service and connection first-hand early in her career. She recalls carrying bags of dog food to customers' cars, delivering purchases to doorsteps.

"I was very lucky I got my start in this industry in independent pet stores," she said. "That started my baseline of what I expect, and what I think people deserve in this industry.

"When you get to know people’s pets, you get to know a unique part of their family. When you’re a piece of that for someone, it’s important that you bring the whole experience. You build a community."

Daly regularly welcomed all into the space, hosting adoption events, book clubs, and artisan markets. It was the figurative village she built through The Barketplace that inspired her to keep pushing to make it work, steering the shop through its last holiday season filled with Santa visits, specialty vendor markets, and fulfilling special orders.

A glance at her business page over the last several months would show a shop putting its best foot forward despite its known fate—and an owner with a profound passion for her pursuit.

"I love what I do, and I have loved every single moment this community has granted," Daly wrote to supporters in November. "I've spent a lot of time this week reflecting on the amazing memories I've made, the community that has rallied around me, and the friends I've made along the way and while my heart is heavy and I am mourning the loss of my baby, I'm also so incredibly thankful to every single one of you."

Even in facing the inevitable, Daly remains grateful.

"There was a lot of my life that I didn't think I would ever see this dream become a reality," she said. "I am honored to have been able to build and create this little store that quickly became a community. I won't ever be able to truly express my gratitude for the support I've received. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Thank you for loving my dogs and asking about them all of the time."

Opened since 2021, Daly said, the store also provided a look at female entrepreneurship for her daughter.

"Thank you for giving my daughter the pride in women and in her mother owning her own business," she wrote, "and giving both of my kiddos the bravery to dream bigger than working for someone else."

The business' last day will be Sunday, Jan. 19, and Daly will offer sales and specials each day until then. She is placing one last order explicitly for special orders, expected Friday, Jan. 17. Anyone who would like something ordered should message their Facebook page, call, or text 708-963-3488. All special orders need to be in by Thursday, Daly urged.

In her goodbye, Daly shared a GoFundMe link if anyone would like to show final support. She also wanted to let shoppers and supporters know she accepted a position as manager of the pet department at Alsip Nursery.

"Thank you for letting me into your lives," she told fans of the shop. "I've loved every Christmas card, baby announcement, new puppy or kitten, and every out of town family member you brought in to share our little store. Thank you for rooting for me. And finally, but most importantly, thank you for loving me. I've never felt as at home as I have with you all in this community. You will never know how much it all meant to me."

The Barketplace, 17258 Oak Park Ave., is open daily through Jan. 19, with hours Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.