Let's face it, when restaurants bother to apply for the SFA/NEA licenses to make their outdoors pet-friendly, and their food doesn't suck, many pet owners will go and have a meal. I will. The pet dollar is strong, and in these two years when restaurants are crushed, we'll support them, only if they're pet-friendly. I avoid standard dog cafes with lax rules though. Those are a stink. I really don't fancy having to discipline other people's dogs or have them jump on my thighs. That's highly irritating behavior, and not at all cute.
If SFA would stop flushing out restaurants who flout the rules and embark on a little education program by way of seminars or memos to remind restaurants to apply for Pets Allowed licenses, that would be wonderful. They should also simplify the steps for the restaurants to do so. There'll be people in the country who dislike and fear dogs, the same way they do to cats. I can understand the root causes and their feelings, but I cannot empathize with them. This world isn't about humans.
I do visit this outlet often since it's conveniently located, is pet-friendly and it's got a decent menu and good coffee. Importantly, the menu offers me a side of hash brown with sour cream. Muahahaha. So I always enjoy a meal here.
The cafe hosted a brunch event (the menu itself runs through the month) for humans and dogs. Barking Good set up a doggo menu there for October to cater to dogs too. So we went. Barking Good's October menu for dogs offered pumpkin pancakes and shepherd's pie (with a choice of beef, chicken or pork). Choya won't eat a meal outside of the home. So I didn't bother to get food for her there. Brought home a pork shepherd's pie for her.
We parked at at Cross Street Exchange and had a skirmish with the building security right at the basement carpark lift lobby. He said building policies didn't allow dogs at all, not even to get from the carpark to the lift, and to the street level, where the cafe is located 20 meters outdoors. They suggested that we could (1) turn around and leave, (2) walk up the carpark ramp, (3) drop the dog first at the driveway upstairs, then park the car in the basement. The first suggestion is typical of ignorant bots. The second is totally preposterous, dangerous and downright idiotic. Damn champion. I almost laughed. The third short-sighted suggestion doesn't work for dogs with one caregiver in the car. The man totally exploded. I kept calm since yelling ain't gonna get us anywhere.
Most buildings and malls only allow entry to guide dogs, and for the rest, require dogs to be in a carrier. We can circumvent by carrying the dog quickly to walk through to get out. At our access points, Cross Street Exchange had not put up notices to inform the public that no pets are allowed in the building, and if they have to pass through, they ought to be in a carrier. Building security said no to us carrying the dog through either. Whatever. We ignored him, scooped up the dog and went upstairs anyway. There, I had a short chat separately with both the supervisor on duty at Cross Street Exchange, and later on, with the manager at Group Therapy Cafe.
I understand policies, regardless of how dumb they might be. I do not understand idiotic suggestions from operation staff who have not been properly briefed and hence not equipped to deal with ME. I also dropped Cross Street Exchange an email via official channels. Yes, I have received a reply. The building management would have to decide on the policies they wish to adopt and have the balls to own it. Then they ought to adequately brief the security team. A building has a dog-friendly cafe on the premises outside of the air-conditioned area, but nowhere to allow cars to park and let dogs walk through. That's just inconsiderate and unfriendly. This Archifest/Barkifest event is SO TIMELY.
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