Glenn Mehterian, owner of Cool Kat Party Supplies in Spring, did not plan to open a party store in Houston when a health crisis brought him to the area a decade ago. However, starting his own business became a way for him to celebrate his recovery and give back to the community where his recovery took place.
Ten years ago, just after the birth of his son, Nathan, Mehterian received a cancer diagnosis, prompting the family to relocate from California to Houston for treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“Your life is defined by scan results and test results,” Mehterian said.
When doctors gave him a clean bill of health, Mehterian said his wife, Sinem, came to him with an important question.
She asked what Mehterian wanted to do with his life. Mehterian said he knew he wanted to work for himself but at the time was not interested in opening a store. In researching some options, he said he stumbled across a company that sold wholesale party supplies, and it clicked with him.
Mehterian said the idea of helping people celebrate moments in their lives appealed to him. He opened Cool Kat Party Supply in 2012.
To respond to the demands and needs of the community, he offers products and services typically not available at the larger chain stores, such as Party City.
Mehterian said he developed the Cool Kat name and mascot to give his store a strong brand identity and to differentiate it from the many chains with “party” in the store name.
The store’s most popular offering is its selection of balloons and custom balloon displays.
“Balloons drive the business,” Mehterian said. “It’s all secondary to balloons.”
The store works with a balloon designer to create special store displays and prepare the balloon bouquets and centerpieces.
Seasonal displays are positioned toward the front of the store while year-round essentials can be found in the back of the store, including place settings and decorations in a variety of color schemes, costumes, baking and catering supplies, party favors and candy.
Costumes and party favors are grouped by themes including decade, holiday, and special occasions, such as baby showers, bachelorette parties, luaus and sporting events.
To get a head start on the holiday offerings, he orders catalogs months in advance of the event.
“I start on Halloween in December,” Mehterian said. “I got my Christmas catalog last week [in April].”
Manager Felicia Mercado said she took the job last October because she felt inspired by the family’s approach to the business.
“He wants to make a good impact in the community,” Mercado said. “I like the way he likes to help. I believe his store is super-competitive. We’re the little guy, but we offer so much more.”
