Every Dog Has It’s Day:
The Story of Your Favorite, Dog Themed, Café
Themed cafés have been popping up all across the United States in recent times. Nestled in the town of Louisa, sits the latest of these, the K9 café, owned by Fallsburg native, Austin Hughes. Since Hughes already owns The Dapper Doodle, a pet grooming business located next to the café, he decided to stick with the “dog theme” when opening his café, which unfortunately doesn’t allow pets in due to state guidelines. All the while, the café sticks to the “dog theme” to show appreciation to our furry friends. Citizens can find the café and groomer in the Louisa Plaza, standing side by side.
The café, open since October of 2020, has managed to do what many small businesses haven’t, survive the COVID-19 Pandemic. Not only have they survived, but they have found great success. Originally opening as a takeout, to comply with the COVID-19 guidelines, Hughes plans to expand the café to include indoor dining, as the state continues to open up.
Hughes’ plan for the indoor dining is similar to the classic café which offers a comforting ambience that allows for its customers to enjoy their drinks peacefully. Hughes plans to create a “quiet area in the back,” to allow for customers who want a more intimate setting or want to work on homework. The front will be a contrast, as Hughes plans to keep it more upbeat with televisions and video games that customers can enjoy. “We would really like to see it become a nice hang out spot.”
Just like the unique name, the menu of the K9 Café isn’t something that is normally found around here. Hughes reflects back to when he was looking at other cities for menu ideas, “The drinks that we serve are something that I don’t feel like the people of Louisa have been introduced to yet.” One menu item, sure to grab the attention of citizens, is the world-famous bubble tea. Originating in 1980’s Taiwan, this refreshing beverage is a tea based drink accompanied by chewy drops of tapioca. While bubble tea can be found in larger cities, it’s something the citizens of Louisa miss out on and Hughes recognized that, which is why it was chosen as the staple drink of the K9 Café. The café also offers a range of their drinks and goodies that is constantly changing as Hughes plans to expand his menu further.
For further information about the café, you can follow their Facebook page, K9 Café.
