Atlanta groomer hopes to open doors for more Black women in pet care
When pet owners walk through the door of Andrea Jenkins’ shop with photos of meticulously groomed dogs popular in Asia, she knows exactly what they are looking for.
The founder of Jazzy Pawz by Andrea spent years traveling to South Korea, Thailand and Japan to learn specialized grooming techniques rarely found in Georgia.
“People will bring pictures and say, ‘I want my fur baby to look like this,’ and there’s no one in Atlanta that’s really doing this as meticulously as they do in Asia,” she said. “So, I decided to start researching and reaching out to people and saving money to take trips out there.”
The Atlanta entrepreneur recently won first place and a $75,000 award in the Atlanta Beltline Business Solutions Office 2026 Pitch Competition, recognition that she hopes will help her expand her business while opening doors for Black women interested in the pet care industry.
“I just want to be able to help others, especially Black women, men and children, know that you can get into the pet care industry outside of just being a veterinarian,” she said.
Atlanta Beltline Business Ventures is an acceleration program designed to support local small businesses with technical assistance and resources to open their businesses along the Beltline.
The competition highlights graduates of the Beltline Business Ventures 2026 cohort, and the $200,000 prize pool is split among six winning contestants. Jenkins won first place among roughly 25 cohort members.
“I always had a passion and love for animals,” Jenkins said. “I used to want to be a veterinarian growing up.”
Instead, she initially followed in her father’s footsteps and got into the hospitality industry.
Her career path changed six months after her mother unexpectedly died in 2013. Determined to pursue her passion for animals, she began building her grooming skills.
She started off grooming in her home but eventually wanted to grow beyond clients dropping their pets off at her house.
“I’ve always had the dream to do pet care suites,” she said, adding that she wanted to fill the gap because no one else was doing that at the time.
Jenkins plans to use the award money to make facility improvements at her nearly 10-year-old Beltline location, Jazzy Pawz by Andrea, while expanding the inventory in its curated retail boutique to support more small businesses.
She also plans to expand scholarships and marketing for her grooming apprenticeship program, which helps aspiring Black female groomers build their own clientele by providing workspace without the overhead costs of rent, utilities or building ownership.
Jenkins currently has two locations: Jazzy Pawz, located in Shallowford Plaza Shopping Center, and Jazzy Pawz by Andrea, located along the Beltline.
Jenkins has been recognized by Daily Groomer as a top grooming business in Georgia and was named Jezebel magazine’s Best Pet Groomer for three consecutive years.
“I just continue to strive for greatness to encourage others to strive for greatness as well,” Jenkins said. “I want to be able to train these young people to do the same thing so that it won’t be like a chain store. We value quality over quantity.”
Part of what sets Jenkins apart is her mastery of Asian-inspired grooming techniques.
The Asian-style of grooming, popularly known as Asian Fusion or Asian Freestyle, is characterized by perfectly rounded shapes, soft-blended lines and expressive face sculpting to resemble the signature look of teddy bears.
The technique requires high-skill scissor work, featuring precision shaping and proportioning, and can take up to five hours to complete.
Her commitment to the craft has earned a loyal customer base.
One of her clients, Janice Harleaux, has loyally been bringing her labradoodle, Phoenix, to Jenkins for over a year.
She says she’s only ever brought Phoenix to Jazzy Pawz because of Jenkins’ patience and gentle approach with her furry clients.
Harleaux said Phoenix is naturally gentle and intelligent but becomes especially excited whenever she visits Jazzy Pawz.
“Andrea is a sweetheart,” Harleaux said. “She’s very kind and very respectful.”
About the Author
K'mari Greene is a senior journalism student at North Carolina Central University from Chesapeake, VA. She joined the AJC in 2026 as a reporter for UATL.