A new pet shop on Goodison Road has seen their business boosted by Everton Women’s matchdays.
Urban Reptilia opened its doors in August after the closure of the iconic Goodison Cafe, and owner Dylan Burke says he has been surprised by the amount of interest they’ve received since the women’s team began their season at Goodison Park.
He said: “Business has been pretty steady. We thought it would be a slow burner but it’s been decent quickly.
“There’s been a real rise in customers since the women’s team started playing and it’s been a shock to see how busy we’ve been on matchdays.
“We get loads of kids coming in with their families before kick-off and it’s something we didn’t even think of when we purchased the shop. We knew it would get a bit busier but I definitely underestimated the size of the crowds that would come!”
Burke’s decision to run his own business came after years of working for different animal-based companies and, despite being a boyhood Liverpool supporter, the significance of their current location isn’t lost on the 23-year-old.
“Everyone in the city knew about the Goodison Cafe,” he added.
“Matchdays in particular, it was always open and really busy. A few people were obviously devastated that it’s gone now but it was an opportunity that we couldn’t turn down.”
The cafe was a staple of many Evertonians’ matchday routine, and was home to an abundance of Blues’ memorabilia collected over the years by the previous owners.
But, with the shop now selling snakes and spiders instead of sandwiches, reptiles instead of wraps and tortoises instead of tea, Burke made the decision to ensure the iconic tapestry of ‘Evertonia’ was maintained for the club’s supporters.
“We sent loads of the memorabilia to the new pubs around Bramley Moore Dock and gave a handful out to Blues in the local area.
“They asked us what we wanted for it, but we just told them to take it for free – there’s no use for it in a pet shop, unfortunately!
“We’d rather it be given to people who it can provide real meaning to and that’s what we did.”
Everton’s stadium move brought a threat to many of the businesses on Goodison Road, however Burke says he still sees fans flocking to the area on the women’s matchdays.
“I’d imagine custom is slower for a lot of the pubs around here, but there’s still loads of people going in on matchdays, not just for the women’s team but when the men are in action at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“When Everton played at Anfield, the street was full so hopefully they can keep getting enough business in.
“For us though, we just want to see how it goes here for a few years, then hopefully we can open up other shops if it goes well!”
