It’s going to be a bit tougher Tuesday to buy dog treats or visit the turtles at Wilmette Pet Center in the Chicago suburbs.
The shop is discovering what rival networks already know: it’s hard to do business when Fox’s Empire is in the neighborhood. They might as well hang a “do not feed the Lyons sign.”
The hit show will be filming down the block at Lawrence Deans bakery, which will close the sidewalks and eliminate street parking on Green Bay Road. In an email to customers, Wilmette Pet Center says the store will be open during normal business hours and that the parking lot behind the store will be available. The pet shop’s back door will be open to make it easier to get in and out.
Despite the inconvenience, the shop is encouraging customers to come on down. In a way, the production might be a promotion. In the last line of the email, the store answers the question on most folks' mind: “And yes, they tell us Taraji P. Henson will be present for the filming.”
