At Okini Restaurant and Bar in Vancouver, co-owners Steph Wan and Kevin Lin craft gorgeous plates of AAA steak served with duck fat potatoes and broccolini, and golden eagle sablefish doused in a fuji apple broth and adorned with zucchini.
But it香蕉视频直播檚 the clientele feasting on these meals that make the restaurant stand out. The dishes are meant for dogs and join a milk bone-rimmed 香蕉视频直播減awgarita香蕉视频直播� and a beef liver-dusted and pepperoni-topped 香蕉视频直播減awtini香蕉视频直播� on the small, pet-friendly menu Okini offers.
香蕉视频直播淭he reaction has been crazy; like more than I anticipated,香蕉视频直播� Wan said. 香蕉视频直播淓veryone香蕉视频直播檚 really excited about it.香蕉视频直播�
Okini香蕉视频直播檚 efforts to ensure pets that tag along with their owners can fill their bellies too comes as a growing number of restaurants are adding dog-centric dishes to their menus.
Across Canada, there are now wineries selling 香蕉视频直播渂arkuterie boards,香蕉视频直播� bars with mini picnic tables dogs can use to nibble on treats and dining establishments delivering non-alcoholic beer, cottage pie or peanut butter and ice cream to pups on their 香蕉视频直播減awtios.香蕉视频直播�
Even big chains are in on the trend with A&W Canada offering $2 grass-fed beef patties for dogs last month and Shake Shack Canada selling vanilla custard laden with Wufers biscuits. Starbucks has similarly been known to dole out cups of whipped cream some dub 香蕉视频直播減uppuccinos香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播減up cups.香蕉视频直播�
Matt Davis, the director of reservation company OpenTable香蕉视频直播檚 Canadian business, suspects the increase in restaurants catering to dogs stems from a boom in pet ownership that shows no signs of slowing.
The Canadian dog population rose by 200,000 to 7.9 million between 2020 and 2022, the Canadian Animal Health Institute has said.
香蕉视频直播淭here seemingly (are) pets everywhere,香蕉视频直播� Davis said, noting that pups are plentiful when he香蕉视频直播檚 out in Vancouver or visiting Toronto.
香蕉视频直播淧eople are becoming more attached to them and they just like to be with them more frequently.香蕉视频直播�
A May survey OpenTable commissioned of 1,000 dog owners in Canada found more than one-third dine out with their pets and 46 per cent take part on a weekly basis.
At Lobster Burger Bar in Toronto, not a day goes by without someone ordering from the 香蕉视频直播減aws to claws香蕉视频直播� menu, said Christopher Chan, the restaurant香蕉视频直播檚 director of operations.
香蕉视频直播淲e give the dogs little tables they can eat at, but I香蕉视频直播檇 say half the owners like to pick them up and like them to eat at their table,香蕉视频直播� he said.
While many need no excuse to bring Fido along for $11 cups of Thanksgiving turkey, zesty rosemary chicken or salmon meals from Puppy Gang Fresh Foods, Chan has noticed birthdays bring out plenty of dogs.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 probably the No. 1 (occasion they visit for) and if they don香蕉视频直播檛 get a seat, they香蕉视频直播檙e so upset,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Lobster Burger Bar香蕉视频直播檚 interest in catering to dog owners stemmed from the restaurant香蕉视频直播檚 late owner Marcel Schneebeli, who noticed pet ownership soaring during the pandemic, when many people were home alone and seeking companionship.
Once lockdowns and other health measures lifted, these new pet owners realized there were few restaurants willing to welcome animals.
香蕉视频直播淓ven if there was outdoor seating, sometimes dogs weren香蕉视频直播檛 allowed,香蕉视频直播� Okini香蕉视频直播檚 Wan recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭here were just so many restrictions in my city.香蕉视频直播�
OpenTable香蕉视频直播檚 research found 62 per cent of dog owners have experienced difficulty finding pet-friendly spots, though it香蕉视频直播檚 becoming an easier task in recent years because the pandemic convinced some provinces, including Ontario, to rework laws to allow dogs into some parts of restaurants.
Wan and Lin, who own Boston terrier Tobiko and Pannacotta, a Maltese-Pekingese, were keen to be part of the wave of change.
After rounds of taste testing from their own dogs, they opened their patio to animals in late May and quickly found a canine customer base.
But it香蕉视频直播檚 unclear how long the demand for such offerings will remain.
A recent survey of 300 Canadians from financial services firm Stifel found 41 per cent of respondents planned to decrease their spending on pet food and accessories over the next 12 months. Almost 60 per cent, however, expected to increase spending in these areas.
Davis predicted there香蕉视频直播檚 no end in sight for the dog-friendly menu. In fact, what restaurants like Okini are doing is just the beginning, he said.
香蕉视频直播淵ou go into a grocery store in Los Angeles and there are dogs just everywhere, as if they were just part of the normal consumer that would be in a grocery store,香蕉视频直播� Davis said.
香蕉视频直播淪o in my mind, I think this is only going to increase.香蕉视频直播�
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Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
