Happy Cat Hotel & Spa, St. Louis: Full Commercial Interior Build-Out
Happy Cat Hotel & Spa is a cat boarding hotel and grooming spa franchise. Its South St. Louis location at 3460 Hampton Avenue was built out from an existing commercial space, and Salem Developments self-performed the interior construction package: selective demolition, metal stud framing, drywall, ceilings, painting, finish carpentry and flooring.
Project at a glance
Client type: national pet-care franchise, new location
Location: 3460 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139 (South City)
Project type: full commercial interior build-out
Salem's role: self-performing interior contractor on the project team
Trades self-performed: selective demolition, metal stud framing, drywall and finishing, ceilings, interior painting, finish carpentry, flooring
Completed: summer 2026
Scope
The space was taken back to the shell where the plans called for it, then rebuilt around the franchise layout: reception and retail, boarding suites, grooming and bathing area, staff and support rooms. Salem framed the new partitions, hung and finished the drywall, installed the ceilings, painted, set the trim and finish carpentry, and installed the flooring, carrying the interior from demolition through final finishes with one crew.
What made it different
Many small rooms. A boarding hotel is partition-dense: suites, grooming, storage and support rooms in a footprint that a retail tenant would leave open. That meant more linear feet of wall, more corners and more doors per square foot than a typical TI, and tight coordination with the door, hardware and plumbing locations before walls closed.
Cleanable, durable finishes. Animal-care interiors are washed down daily. Substrate preparation, moisture-resistant assemblies at wet areas, base details and paint selections were handled with that in mind.
Sequencing with the other trades. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in had to be complete and inspected before drywall; Salem's crew worked the framing, inspection and board sequence around those trades so the schedule held.
Why it matters for your project
Franchise build-outs run on prototype drawings and opening dates. This project is an example of Salem self-performing the full interior package on a branded space, coordinating with a project team and turning the space over ready for fixtures and opening.
Planning a franchise or pet-care build-out in St. Louis?
Salem Developments builds commercial interiors for franchisees, owners and general contractors across Greater St. Louis. Send plans and a target opening date through the commercial bid request form or call (636) 298-9013. See more projects and our tenant improvement services.
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