Scott and Diedra Giles were on an extended vacation in Mexico when the couple’s phones started blowing up the morning of Jan. 18.

“My phone had 60 texts and missed calls,” Diedra Giles said, adding that they had been out on the beach when a fire broke out at their McHenry store, Reeses Barkery and Pawtique.

The call that came through “was one of our retail rock stars, asking ‘What is going on?’ and ‘What I can do to help with the fire,’” Diedra said.

The store, along with the neighboring Riverside Bake Shop, was destroyed that day when a fire broke out shortly after noon. Although city officials said the four walls are stable at 1309, 1311 and 1313 Riverside Drive, there is a massive hole in the roof where it burned.

Over the past week, and while still on their vacation, Scott and Diedra have been working with their co-owners – their children, Carolyn and Zachary – to get the store ready to reopen to serve customers, albeit at a temporary location.

Reeses is moving to the former Cold Blooded Parties Reptile Zoo at 3314 Pearl St. in downtown McHenry. The owners of that business, Lucas and Caitlynn Arnold, recently moved out of the space they’d been in since spring 2023.

“It is a blessing in disguise,” Caitlynn Arnold said.

Although their decision to close the storefront zoo was due to “a year of unfortunate events” and health concerns, the fact that the space is now available for Reeses is an upside, she said.

“We are so happy that the timing of us closing fits with the unfortunate timing of the Reeses owners going through this tragedy,” Caitlynn Arnold said. “It worked out well.”

The Arnolds are continuing to bring their collection of snakes, tortoises, turtles and other reptiles to schools, parties and libraries around the region, she added.

That property’s owner, Victor Wierzba of KM Construction Inc., reached out to the Giles family, inviting them to use the space while they rebuild.

“This is exactly what being part of a small town is about,” Wierzba said in an email. “Reeses is more than just a store; it’s a local staple run by people who care deeply about this community. When we saw an opportunity to help them stay open and keep moving forward, we didn’t hesitate.”

The Gileses’ insurance adjustor said getting back into the fire-damaged building may take nine months or as long as a year. All of the pet products that were inside also are a total loss, Scott said.

Pet food vendors and wholesalers have been accommodating since the fire, Scott said, which has allowed them to make less-than-minimum orders for their clientele.

“What they are doing is bending over backwards for us,” he said. “Our vendors have been fantastic for us and the community.”

The Giles family purchased Reeses five years ago from the original owners. Since then, Diedra said they have expanded and had $1.3 million in sales last year.

The growth in McHenry led the family to open a second location. That store, at 105 W. Route 14 in Barrington, had its opening pushed up to Jan. 31, ensuring they can meet customer demand.

The Gileses had considered moving their business in McHenry, too, before the fire hit. They purchased 1323 Riverside Drive – the former Flying Dragons martial arts school – in late 2025.

“The intention was to move Reeses,” Scott said, adding that they then decided they’d lose too much square footage on the sales floor.

Instead, the 1858 building is getting renovated to house AteaCo Coffee & Tea. Founded by Atik Altahif and Neshwa Rajeh, the tea and coffee sellers operated out of one of McHenry’s Riverwalk Shoppes for the past two seasons.

They hope to open on Riverside Drive in mid-March, Rajeh said, providing tea, coffee, pastries and a coffee house experience in McHenry.

The first floor has been completely gutted for new insulation, wiring and plumbing, as well as basic kitchen space for the tenant, Scott Giles said.

Even with the temporary store, the new Barrington location and the renovations at the future coffee house building, their focus will be reopening at the 1313 Riverside Drive spot, he added.

“There are too many dogs and cats that want and need our products,” Scott said, noting that they are working in emergency mode to meet demand.

They have sat and cried as they work through the fire damage and next steps, Scott said, “but we will adapt, and we will keep moving forward.”