Business of the Week: Wild Birds Unlimited

Wausau Pilot & Review

Editor’s note: This sponsored weekly feature shares the stories of locally-owned and operated businesses and organizations in the Wausau area, highlighting the products and services they offer and the ways they contribute to the metro area’s unique flavor. Learn how to feature your business by emailing [email protected].

This week’s featured Wausau business is Wild Birds Unlimited, which is under new ownership. Jennifer Chrudimsky and her husband, Chris, bought the business in August, but Jennifer has been part of the store’s staff for years, working full-time at the shop since 2013.

Jennifer grew up in the Milwaukee area and moved to Mosinee with her family more than 20 years ago. Now living in Merrill, Jennifer said owning the store and running it alongside her family and team is exceptionally rewarding. Her husband Chris, who holds a full time job outside the business, does the bookkeeping, maintenance, and tech, and Jennifer says her two assistant managers, Stephanie Anderson and Olivia Griepentrog, are the backbone of the store. Her children also help out frequently, giving the business a true family feel.

“My love of birds and nature started with my mom and grandmother. Over the years working at the store, that love has grown into passion,” Jennifer said. Being able to share that passion and educate our community about best practices when feeding and enjoying backyard birds is what motivates her each day at the business, located at 226021 Rib Mountain Drive.

Wild Birds Unlimited posts plenty of educational content on social media, including virtual seminars a few times each month. Emails are sent weekly, and online orders are shipped quickly through Spee Dee Delivery services. Be sure to stop in during the holidays, as each Christmas season the store is decorated in a different theme. Bird enthusiasts will also want to explore their $25 membership option, which includes a 15 percent discount on bird food, monthly specials, $10 back for every $200 spent and a free bag of bird seed valued at $36 for first-time joiners.

Here, Jennifer shares what to expect when visiting Wild Birds Unlimited and the quality of the stock they carry, information about the many free educational opportunities they offer and details on an upcoming event that will raise funds for the Raptor Education Group, set for later in October. Wild Birds Unlimited is a Wausau area gem – if you haven’t visited lately, be sure to stop in soon. Read on!

You bought the business in August. What was it about Wild Birds Unlimited that drew you in?

Wild Birds Unlimited is a franchise that truly supports their franchisees. They are passionate about conservation and care for the environment. Their goal is not only to help sustain a thriving business, but emphasize giving back to the community that supports your store. Keeping the business in the family was extremely important to us as well. Many of our customers have been grateful for that, we receive a lot of comments about it. Our customers are just like family to us. We know their pet’s names, kids and grandkids. We’ve been there to celebrate their successes, and offer a shoulder to cry on through the tough times.  

Tell me about the goods and services you offer.

We carry bird food formulated to attract the widest variety of songbirds in our area. Our seed blends are fresh and delivered once a week. They never have filler seeds, ensuring nothing is tossed out by the birds. Our two biggest suppliers of seed and feeders are located in southern Wisconsin. 

The majority of our feeders are made in the U.S. Some include a limited lifetime warranty and we repair them right here in the store.

We also offer free educational seminars and programs where we’ll come to your organization and share hobby related information. Pre-covid we did talks for the United Way, assisted living facilities, and schools. We’re excited to get back to in person seminars later this month. 

What are some of the most common questions you get from customers who come into the store?

How can I solve my squirrel problem? I have no birds coming to the bird food I’m using, what’s going on? Or, they’ll simply ask how to attract a specific bird. Most commonly, it’s Northern Cardinals.

You have an event coming up later this month, raising funds for the Raptor Education Group. Tell us what’s happening.

We have a free fundraiser event coming up from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23. The Raptor Education Group will bring live educational owls to the store. Folks can make donations and in turn we’ll give them a raffle ticket for prizes. For anyone who donates $30 or more we’ll give them $15 to spend in the store. Redwood Coffee Roasters out of Edgar will also be there selling coffee and hot chocolate. Kids can come in costume to trick or treat, our team will all be dressed up handing out candy. 

With so many online options, why is it so important to visit a brick-and-mortar store like yours to find the best ways to attract and care for birds?

Being a hobby store, we’re able to provide the expertise and knowledge no big box store can offer. We’ll ask the necessary questions and offer the best solution for our customers’ unique situations. No two yards are alike.

For folks who can’t make it in or aren’t close to us we offer online options. The majority of our superior quality products are located on our website. We fulfill all online orders  right from our Wausau location. 

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Finding the time to do it all! There are lots of ideas the team and I have. We’re trying to slow down, and tackle one thing at at a time. 

How about the most satisfying thing? Or, at the end of the day, what makes you proud of what you do?

Watching my team treat our customers the same way my mom and I always have. We try to make each visit a friendly and personalized experience, we want to share our passion for bird feeding and offer products and advice that will help our customers experience the true joys of bird feeding at their home.

It brings me great joy to see the team’s passion grow for the hobby as well! They all love nature, animals and the environment.

Connect with Wild Birds Unlimited

• 226021 Rib Mountain Drive, Wausau
• Phone: 715-298-3140 
• Website: wbu.com/wausau
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbuwausau