A new 'dog café', bringing together furry companions and social projects, is opening its doors in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles this Thursday.
While there has been no shortage of cat cafés popping up around the country over the last few years, their canine counterparts were yet to be found in Belgium. That changed when the Woof Café in Waterloo opened this summer, with the Dogood Café on Rue Dautzenberg now becoming the second of the new breed of cafés to open.
Located on Rue Dautzenberg 7, Dogood Café welcomes dog owners and their companions, as well as those who simply want to mingle with dogs while grabbing a coffee.
There are two separate menus to choose from, one for humans and one for dogs, with the latter featuring a unique twist on the 'puppuccino' — an espresso cup filled with whipped coconut cream. Other options on the 'dog menu' include a sweet potato waffle and a Greek yoghurt-filled éclair.
The café's homemade pastries for will not include any chocolate or raisins, both of which are toxic to dogs. "The human menu includes some more indulgent options, which use butter and sugar, but nothing that could be poisonous for dogs," co-founder Garance van der Dussen told The Brussels Times.
Van der Dussen, who opened the canine physiotherapy next door in 2019, explained that the team visited dog cafés in Paris and Lille for inspiration before opening their establishment. The resulting project aims to include both dogs with owners as well as those still looking for a home.
Once a month, the café will work with the Sans Collier animal shelter to match dogs that are up for adoption with potential new owners coming to the café. The permanent residents, meanwhile, will be Yuna, a female Brittany Spaniel, and Isidore, a male Basset Hound.
The establishment will also notably be staffed by workers with a disability. "We wanted to create a space where young people with a disability could learn skills that could help them in hospitality jobs," says van der Dussen. "We wanted to offer them an appropriate and welcoming work environment, which unfortunately remains a challenge to find in Belgium."
While the café opened this morning, its official launch party will be taking place on 28 September.
