Certified Chef de Cuisine Mark Jachecki is no stranger to trends in the culinary industry. He’s been a top chef for more than 40 years and has worked in restaurants around the globe.
When Canadian first began his career in the late 1980s, he spent most of it in hotels dominated by German, Swiss, and Austrian classical cuisine. However, one experience in Switzerland left a mark on him.
Jachecki said it’s common for dogs to dine in restaurants along with their owners in Europe, with many people seeing the dog as the owner’s responsibility. Dogs were treated like any other customer, and dogs became accustomed to restaurant culture.
“You never understand how badly your ego can be crushed when the dog ordered a steak with sides, the whole meal,” Jachecki said. “The dog would send it back as it wasn’t cooked to their liking.”
Although dogs aren’t sending back steaks in Canada, many restaurants in the GTA have begun to accommodate pets dining with their owners.
According to the Health Protection and Promotion Act, every room where food is prepared, processed, packaged, served, transported, manufactured, handled and sold shall be free from live birds or animals.
Along with service animals, there are exceptions to this rule that have allowed this newfound fad to thrive.
Lazy Cat Café, a café where guests can enjoy meals and play with cats, has locations in Markham and Toronto that allow guests and felines to eat together because the animals are up for adoption.
One exception in the act states live animals offered for sale on food premises are allowed, as long as a medical office of health has given written approval for these animals to stay on the premises.
Other restaurants, such as the Irish Harp Pub located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, accommodate non-service dogs at an outdoor patio where cross-contamination is unlikely as they are seated away from food.
Jovie Joki, the owner of the Irish Harp Pub, said the welcoming dog community around the restaurant allows both dog-friendly accommodations and dog merchandise to be sold.
“We always offered bowls of water, and there’s been quite an increase in pet stores and so selling different things,” she said. “We just saw there was a way that can be implemented here. We even sell bandanas for dogs. It’s a doggy world these days.”
Joki said the restaurant has a small, permanent patio up front that seats 12 people, with a temporary patio in the back that serves 50 to 60 people. However, the back patio will be closing on Nov. 11 until Joki receives a permanent license for the patio.
The restaurant’s "Pawdio" dog menu offers prime rib or salmon with brown rice, sticky toffee pudding, and lemon meringue pie. Joki said this menu is popular with dogs and their owners.
“That menu has gone off really well. It’s a healthy menu for them,” Joki said. “Most of the owners know if their dogs can handle being in a social environment. And, a lot of people don’t want to leave their dogs at home because they want to be out and enjoy their time with their pets.”
The Irish Harp Pub isn’t the only restaurant to implement dog-friendly menus.
Sarang Kitchen, a Korean fried chicken restaurant in the GTA, opened a second location on Danforth Avenue that could accommodate large groups, people with disabilities and dogs.
Jennifer Low, one of the restaurant’s owners, said a dog menu was always in mind when branching out her restaurant.
“We had a few requests at our first location whether they can bring support animals and, I would love to, but that restaurant is a bit smaller,” Low said. “With this location, we wanted to make a more interactive dining experience.”
Sarang Kitchen currently does not have a patio, with Low awaiting the necessary licenses and approvals from Toronto officials. Instead, Low said dogs are allowed inside based on the manager’s discretion.
According to the Health Protection and Promotion Act, dogs are allowed to dine inside as long as no manufacturing, processing or preparation of food items take place in the room.
Low said dogs are seated far away from other guests and food preparation areas.
“Coming from Singapore and South Korea, we have a lot of pet cafes over there. And as a pet owner, I go to places where my pets are allowed,” Low said. “I just wanted to make it more in line with our mission.”
Low said her Schnauzer-Maltese mix, Dusty, acted as the taste tester for their menu. A menu that Low said she wanted to be more fun and cuter than the typical dog-friendly menu.
“I love my dog. I think he’s the center of my universe. Every birthday, I try to do a special menu where we make kimbap and dog-friendly wine for him,” Low said. “So, I really like looking into what human food he can have.”
Sarang Kitchen offers a fried chimken platter which includes chicken thigh, sweet potatoes, apple, egg, yak chew, and beef liver. It also offers a Korean Bark-B-Q set, where 100-gram ribeye is grilled tableside for the dog.
Despite the sudden interest in dog-friendly restaurants, Jachecki said it’s more likely for this to become a fad than a trend. For something to become a trend, it has to be something that everyone is doing. However, not many restaurants are equipped to handle dog bodies.
Jachecki said fast-food restaurants like A&W are only able to provide treats such as a pup patty, a tiny burger, because of their family-oriented model. Restaurants that have the capacity and interest for dogs are more likely to succeed than a traditional restaurant.
“If you were to go to an A&W, there’s a difference between a Saint Bernard and a Chihuahua,” he said.
