The pet boutique at 103 W. Jefferson Ave. that Andy and AdreAnne Tesene opened in 2005 has been named one of the country's coolest pet stores by a national trade publication.
PETS+ Magazine selected Two Bostons as one of nine independent pet retailers nationwide to receive its 2026 America's Coolest title, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday, July 20. The award recognizes innovation, customer experience, community involvement and retail excellence. Two Bostons will be profiled in a future issue of the magazine as part of the series.
From that single downtown Naperville storefront, the Tesenes have grown Two Bostons to eight Chicago-area locations, according to the Tribune, including three in Naperville: the original on Jefferson Avenue, a Springbrook center shop at 2523 W. 75th St. and a third at 1239 Naper Blvd. in the Market Meadows Shopping Center. Additional stores operate in Burr Ridge, Geneva, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton.
The judging panel cited the company's store design, marketing and community partnerships. One judge called Two Bostons "a well-run machine," according to the company's blog post announcing the award, and praised its cohesive outreach across email, social media, community events and a customer loyalty program called the Petfluencer Program. Judges also highlighted a detail that pet owners with anxious animals will appreciate: private shopping appointments for reactive dogs.
Staff members call or text customers after they try a new product to check on their pet's progress, the blog post noted.
Community involvement was one of the four criteria that earned Two Bostons the recognition. That same spirit runs through another Naperville pet venture with a live deadline for residents.
Ales for Tails: Naperville pets can land on a beer can
Paws for a Cause Vet Care, a Naperville nonprofit veterinary clinic, is running its fifth annual Ales for Tails fundraiser, giving local pet owners a shot at seeing their dog or cat on a limited-edition Two Brothers Brewing Prairie Path beer can.
Pet owners can nominate their animal through Thursday, July 31, by submitting a photo and a $10 donation at gogophotocontest.com/alesfortailscontest. The public can then vote throughout August at $1 per vote, with all proceeds supporting the clinic's mission to provide affordable veterinary care.
One dog and one cat will be selected as winners. New for 2026, Paws for a Cause is adding a Shelter Pet category, putting one homeless animal on its own commemorative can.
The beer can reveal party is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora. Paws for a Cause Vet Care, founded in 2009 by CEO Kathi Daniels, operates out of a 16,000-square-foot facility at 1620 Bond St. in Naperville and logged more than 27,000 pet visits in 2024, according to the Naperville Sun.
