Exotic Pet Birds Inc. Expands To Full-line Territory To Survive And Thrive

Exotic Pet Birds Inc., Henrietta, NY

OWNERS: Sal and Jamie Salafia founded: 2017 locations: 1 area: 9,850 square ft. employees: 4 full time, 10 part time websites: exoticpetbirdsrochester.com, rochesterreptiles.com facebook: epbroc, epbrroc INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE: exoticpetbirdsinc tiktok: exotic.pet.birds TOP BRANDS: A&E Cage Co., Aviator Harness, Flukers, Galapagos, Josh’s Frogs, Hagen, Kaytee, Kaitec, Komodo, Lee’s, Natures Miracle, Planet Pleasures, Prevue Hendryx, Quiko, Roudy Bush, Sunseed, Tetra, Uccello Products, Upstate Pet Products, Vitakraft, Wild Republic, Zilla, Zoo Med, Zupreem

A LOCAL PET STORE OWNER’S visit to Sal Salafia’s fourth-grade classroom sparked his lifelong passion for animals. “She didn’t just read stories,” he says, “she genuinely taught us about the animals.” His teacher, a fellow animal lover, facilitated such visits, nurturing a sense of community around pet appreciation.

After college, Sal spent 15 years in his family’s real estate business. “During stressful periods, I’d retreat to my pet store dream, collecting vendor and breeder information as a form of decompression,” he says. “I realized that while local pet stores existed, none offered the specific community I envisioned. This realization solidified my desire to create it myself.”

In 2017, Sal and wife Jamie tested an avian-only “store” out of their home’s fourth bedroom. It grew to a 1,700-square-foot shop and then a 3,900-square-foot store in Webster, NY, which expanded to 7,700 square feet in 2020. After adding reptiles in 2024, the business grew again in 2026 to include small animals and products, plus dog and cat products, prompting the move to its current 9,850-square-foot facility in Henrietta.

Although still in the Rochester area, the new store is off the I-90, making it an easier drive for customers in the Empire State Corridor region of Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. The business grossed more than $1 million annually the past two years, and Sal has already seen a bump in business due to the new location and added product lines.

“After years of dedication, I’m privileged to witness the flourishing community I always envisioned,” he says. “I’m now in the position to foster the same passion for animals that was ignited in me so many years ago.”

NEW DIGS

About the expansion into full-line territory, Sal says, “We exponentially increased the inventory in every department and simply outgrew the current space. We strongly believe that remaining a store that focused on pet birds alone was not sustainable, and we owed it to ourselves, our animals and our clients to make changes that would expand our financial ability to do what we do as we do it.”

He describes moving to the location as a monumental undertaking, involving not only transporting the animals but also adding 3,500 SKUs. “We spent months tagging and organizing planograms. Many of the staff worked till midnight each night.”

The new place has nearly 10,000 square feet of floor space. “We now have shopping carts, more retail racks and more ease of shopping,” Sal says, adding that there are different zones for each pet category. “We dedicated the largest, most visible space to the bird department, as we want it clear that we are still the No. 1 resource for aviculture in this state.”

All zones feature a cohesive color palette, with spaces set aside to focus on education, visitation and consultation. Customers can interact with any of the live animals in three 10-by-10-foot consulting rooms. There is also a conference room for professional meetings with vendors. “Consultation and education put us on the map, so we stayed focused on keeping ample space for that,” he says.

The business has a main website and social media pages, allowing customers to meet the team, shop, read blogs, take quizzes, see available live animals, and book grooming, training and boarding appointments. “Our graphic artist, trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology, creates all of our images, runs social media marketing and maintains our highly robust websites,” Sal says. There is also a separate reptile website with its own social media. “Separate staff voices on our live videos for each business give further reinforcement of the specialty.”

LIVE IT UP

The live animals are the biggest draw to the store. Animals include parrots (from cockatiels to conures to Amazons to cockatoos), reptiles and amphibians (such as geckos, frogs, chameleons and bearded dragons), small animals (from chinchillas and guinea pigs to gerbils and micro squirrels) and axolotls (aquatic salamanders). Sal says, “30% of our sales are live birds, 20% are reptiles. From there, merchandise is strongly responsible for revenue.”

The animals’ in-store habitats include optimal enrichment toys and products. Zero-interest, in-house payment plans for all pets and equipment allow animals to go home with proper setups. Pet parents who get their birds from the store receive free behavioral training and grooming for life. He says, “This is key to ensuring our clients make the best pet owners.”

Centrally located in the building, an avian nursery lets visitors peek through windows to view the delicate birds being raised. The entire room is set with sterile white tile and black granite desks topped with computers. “Clients can peer in as DNA tests, hand-feeding, documented weights and other care projects with the animals are done by the staff,” Sal says.

The reptile zone is massive. “There is no store with this many reptile products and natural resources in Rochester,” he says. “We had Zoo Med come out to spend three days setting up our 16 racks of enclosures from them. The end result is a truly zoo-like feel when visiting the store.”

The small animal section includes 15 different enclosures. “We apply the same ethical practice of care to these animals,” Sal says. “We have a massive selection of small animal products in store, and the clients are loving the selection. We have, on average, two to three more small animal products than a traditional big-box store carries.”

The aquatics department is geared mostly toward axolotl care. “That said, many of its products seem to fill the basic needs of the clients who keep freshwater fish,” he says.

The store works with a veterinarian, who conducts monthly wellness exams for the animals. This allows the business to maintain the highest standards of care. It also has a surrender program, which guarantees it will take back an animal in need of a new home. “We are here ready to help if a client has to give up the animal for whatever reason.”

ELITE ENSEMBLE

“Clients are blown away by the customer experience,” Sal says proudly, explaining that dedicated specialists oversee every facet, from animal welfare and adoption to marketing and finance. As founder, he remains involved in running the company on a daily basis, working with vendors, enhancing care, and ensuring the business is a valuable resource to its clients. He turned over his CEO duties to Jamie in 2020.

The rest of the team is made up of four full-time and 10 part-time employees: a general and an assistant general manager; avian nursery, live bird and reptile managers; a graphic designer; and animal-care specialists.

Already highly educated and experienced, team members have earned American Federation Aviculture certifications, taken courses in certified avian specialist programs, and completed Zoo Med University’s training courses for reptile care. The staff’s input is taken seriously. “Two years ago, the staff requested to add a reptile department, which has, over the past two years, grown to be the biggest and coolest in our territory,” Sal says. “We have found that by investing in our staff and exceeding their expectations of an employer, we have more dedicated and committed members of our team. Even our community can see that we are not just staff but friends and family.”

THE GOODS

Sal purposely purchased wide assortments of products to make it clear that no store would come close to Exotic Pet Birds Inc. in selection. For larger products, such as caging and terrariums, one is displayed on the shelf, and the rest are backstocked in two separate, on-site warehouses.

“Our house blend of bird food, Uccello Products, is our strongest seller,” Sal says of the store’s merchandise. “We have over 6,000 clients on the product line.” Bird toys are also a huge source of sales.

The reptile product revenue continues to grow, and sales jumped 31% with their addition. “When we launched dog, cat and small animal departments in March, the growth and positive response has been highly encouraging that other departments may take lead down the road.”

THE NEW ACT

The company has changed the Salafias’ lives forever. Jamie says, “I remember when Sal first told me he bought some birds. The thought had me stressed, confused and scared. Fast forward nearly a decade later — we’ve outgrown two buildings and made many friends. I’m so glad we took this journey together.”

Sal recently accepted a Northeast regional delegate role at the American Federation of Aviculture. “It has me working in tandem with other pet professionals to help educate lawmakers on the rights of animals while maintaining the rights of their human counterparts,” he says. “I serve on several boards now and also collaborate with the Pet Advocacy Network on challenges the industry faces with legislation intending to stop pet ownership.”

The laws being proposed were largely the reason Exotic Pet Birds Inc. went from being a specialty bird store to a full-line business. “As a Certified Avian Specialist, who has raised over 5,000 birds in my career, I know my input is needed. I consider this role with AFA a huge give-back to the community that has helped me to create an amazing company.”

He says when the store’s clients (over 6,000 registered) learned that the business needed to expand to full line to ensure its continuation, they stepped up, buying their other pet products there, too. “Fortunately, we created a community,” Sal says. “Our community wants to see us continue to thrive, not just survive, because they see the direct positive impacts our company makes when it grows.”

Five Cool Things About Exotic Pet Birds Inc.

1. APP FOR THAT: “The EPBI staff app totally changed the game for us,” Sal says. “It’s on all our phones and has everything we need. When we’re chatting with clients, we can easily check what animals we have that match what they’re looking for. It’s got all the details, including birth dates and medical information, and whips up bills of sale in a snap.”

2. SPECIAL DELIVERY: The store invested more than $100,000 in purchasing energy-conscious vehicles: a 2025 Sport Touring Honda Prologue and a decked-out 2025 Toyota Tundra. The business also has a Yukon Denali and a 6- by 12-foot trailer fully wrapped in the EPBI branding. The vehicles allow for white-glove delivery locally and around the country, trips to the veterinarian’s office and transportation of large cages and orders.

3. BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Exotic Pet Birds Inc. only sells hook bills, mostly born and raised right at the store, allowing the team to control quality of care. Just a few bird breeders, whom Sal works with closely, also contribute. “I try very hard to ensure I have the highest quality animals around,” he says. “The respect this company has for the animals it cares for is truly something the clients respect and give back to!”

4. PLAY BALL!: The business recently bought a billboard at the Rochester Red Wings baseball stadium. “It gave us the opportunity to have three events at the stadium where we can bring our animals to the park and interact with the fans,” Sal says. “This has been wildly successful as it allows us to become ‘the side show to the main event.’”

5. MOUSING AROUND: In February 2025, the leadership team and their partners went to Disney for an all-expenses-paid trip. “It was a blast and a fantastic way for us to remember how much we all mean to each other,” Sal says. “We had fun and we got to come back relaxed as a team.” They are going again this May and will continue it as an annual trip for as long as the business can support it.

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