NY: Dog owners think pooch-friendly eateries are a paw-some idea

Dog lovers are drooling over the idea of dining al fresco with Fido — now that the state health code could soon be changed to allow pooches at outdoor caf*s.

“I take him out to eat with me now, but I have to tie him up outside of the fenced area,” 43-year-old marketing exec Jordan Rothstein enthused about his mixed-breed dog Momo, as the pair headed to a Park Slope caf*.

“It would be so fun to add puppies to the mix,” he said. “Puppies make everything better … If I could bring Momo to the restaurant with me, I’d order him food off the menu if he’s being a good boy.”

Kati Vernon, a bartender at Provini, an Italian cafe in Park Slope with outside seating, loves that her customers will be able to enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner with their four-legged best friends.

“It’s great news,” she said. “We have regulars who bring their dogs and tie them outside of the seating area. We serve them water, [but] now they’ll be able to bring the dogs next to them. It may effect service a little bit if its more crowded, but our customers wouldn’t mind.”

On Wednesday, the state Senate passed a bill that allows dogs to accompany their owners in outside dining areas. The legislation is currently winding it’s way through the Assembly, but hasn’t been scheduled for a vote.

Vernon believes that, if passed, the bill would ultimately clear the air about whether restaurant patrons can or cannot be joined by a pooch if they are eating outside.

“I think a lot of people worry that its not OK to bring a dog, but now that the law has passed it’s great news,” she explained.

But others didn’t feel too comfortable about eating their pasta primavera next to someone’s slobbering, mangy mutt.

“Some customers complain about the dogs and they don’t come back,” said Reggie Hadzi, owner Tre Giovani restaurant in Greenwich Village. “I don’t think pets should be allowed.”

Joelina Sanchez, hostess at Cafe Espanol on Bleecker St, noted, “It would also be bad if they had to use the bathroom.”

“Eating with a dog isn’t sanitary,” added Eli Diaz, server at Barraca, a Spanish restaurant in the West Village. “I wouldn’t make it legal. People come here to eat. It’s dangerous if [dogs] are running around.”

Andrew Dimattina, an assistant manager at Bluestone Lane Collective Caf* in the West Village which has outdoor seating, has misgivings.

“It can be tricky to navigate around them sometimes. You can step on the dogs or trip over their leashes or the dogs could start fighting.”


By Jennifer Bain, Amber Sutherland and Chris Perez

May 15, 2015 | 12:48am
Dog owners think pooch-friendly eateries are a paw-some idea | New York Post