This town’s cafe scene has shifted to dogs.
Black Lab Coffee just opened on the Upper West Side, with treat menus for humans and their four-legged friends. It claims to be the first java seal of the canine kind.
“We just thought, ‘If no one else is doing it, we might as well open one ourselves,’ and Black Lab Cafe was born,” said Kris Powers, 27, who opened the cafe with his brother Nik , 30 years. and his mother Lise Evans, 54. The family’s black labs – 5.5-year-old Daisy and 1.5-year-old Lola – serve as mascots for the company.
Owners and dogs enter through a vestibule with two sets of doors – a safety measure in case any puppies run away. There is then a lounge area for creatures of all kinds. It connects to a second section, via another glass vestibule, where humans can order food and coffee to bring back to the table to enjoy with their patiently waiting pup. According to health department rules, dogs are not allowed in the food ordering area, but owners can see their pets through a glass partition while they wait for food and drink.
Dogs can enjoy gourmet food from the Powers Company, Clean Bowl Club NYC, while humans get coffee and espresso drinks from Stone Street. The menu will soon be expanded to include sandwiches, smoothies, chia puddings and alcoholic beverages for happy hour.
A set of posted rules advise customers to “play nice”, avoid bumping into bumps, clean up any accidents and call the “dog bouncer” – one of the owners – if help is needed.
The Powers family first got involved in the dog business when they started the Clean Bowl Club NYC in November 2020. While taking Daisy to the vet, they learned that the dry kibble they all gave her the days were highly processed and saturated with vitamins and mineral powders. natural or fresh ingredients.
“[It] made us feel more and more guilty about the kibble we gave her when she was a puppy,” Kris said. “We knew we wouldn’t be considering a similar diet for ourselves and decided we had to do better with Daisy.”
With the help of canine nutrition expert James Pendergast, they formulated dog food using fresh vegetables, beef, turkey, and chicken. Ready-to-serve refrigerated meals are prepared daily and range in price from $6 for 8 ounces to $18 for 24 ounces. Customers can buy the food at the store or have frozen batches delivered.
So far pets and locals love the coffee.
Six-year-old Yorkie twins Lilo and Stitch give the cafe “two legs up,” according to owner Jacqueline City, 25, who praised the quiet surroundings and good coffee.
Kim, who frequents the cafe with her Yorkshire terrier-Maltese mix Rocky, 3 1/2, but declined to give his last name, described him as “a great addition to the Upper West Side for dog owners “.
She added: “It’s so much fun to be able to have a nice cup of coffee and some pastries while Rocky meets other dogs.”
