Happy Bark Day: Dubai's first cafe to cater exclusively for dogs and cats

Puppacinos, pupcakes and afternoon tea are on the menu

Canine customers at the Happy Bark Day cafe in Dubai. Reuters

Dogs await cake during another's birthday celebration at Happy Bark Day, the first dog cafe in Dubai to serve food, coffee and cake to dogs only. AFP

Hyunsuk Ku, 38, the South Korean owner of Happy Bark Day, prepares to serve one of her customers. AFP

The dog Blanca celebrates her first birthday at Happy Bark Day in Dubai. AFP

People and their dogs gather to celebrate another dog's birthday at Happy Bark Day. AFP

A staff member at the dog cafe welcomes a customer. AFP

Blanca celebrates her first birthday with a special cake. AFP

Hyunsuk Ku said: ‘In Korea, we have many of these kinds of healthy dessert shop there. So I got the idea from there, but I study the nutrition and get a certification in nutrition. This is my effort to make my dog healthy.’ AFP

‘A lot of dog owners are more interested in pet health because once you have a dog this is not a dog anymore. This is a family member,’ said the owner, who is also a nutritionist. AFP

‘But unfortunately, dogs’ life span is shorter than us. So we are more focused on their welfare and their health so they can live longer as much as possible with us.' AFP

‘Maybe I can make something like a real meal, like a dog pasta or like something very special things I really want to make for them. So this is my next plan to do it for all UAE dog parents.’ AFP

Blanca is having a ball with her four-legged friends. AFP

Victoria Kirkwood, 15, takes her dog Ralphie for a meal at the cafe. Reuters

The cafe's owner, Hyunsuk Ku, 38, with food made to look like cup cakes, sushi and cheese. Reuters

A customer plays with a dog at the cafe in Business Bay. Reuters

The cafe caters exclusively to dogs. Reuters

An employee helps to keep a dog entertained at the site. Reuters

The cafe serves healthy pet meals shaped to look like food for humans. Reuters

The cafe opened last year to give pet owners a place to go with their furry friends. Reuters

A dog relaxes at Happy Bark Day. Reuters

Ms Ku says she was inspired to serve the treats after her designs were praised by friends. Reuters

Hyunsuk Ku’s cafe in Business Bay is unlike any other in the emirate.

A large neon green sign in the shape of a bone reads “Happy Bark Day”, offering a clue about the clientele it serves.

Ku’s cafe, which opened in December, is the only one in Dubai that is strictly for pets.

She makes treats and other nutritional meals for cats and dogs. While there’s a complimentary, self-service coffee machine, everything else inside the pastel coloured space is for a pet’s enjoyment.

Described as a “premium pet dessert shop”, there are birthday cakes, doughnuts and cupcakes. While they look good enough for a human to eat, they are for cats and dogs only.

Ku, 38, who is from South Korea, says that her home country has many types of healthy dessert shops for pets and that’s where she got the idea from.

She also has a vested interest in pet nutrition after her first dog, Maum, became ill. She decided to take a pet nutrition course to learn more about how to keep her pets happy and healthy before deciding to open the space.

“I’m very passionate about my dogs' nutrition, I think all dog owners wish for their dogs to live as long as possible,” she says.

“As dog owners, we want to go everywhere together. There are many restaurants for humans, but very limited places for dogs. So, I wanted to open a fine dog restaurant for dogs and cats only, so an owner and dog can enjoy together.”

She says the space has an added benefit: she gets to be around her Golden Retrievers Maum, 7, and Sarang, 4, while helping to create treats for other pets.

“I've lived in Dubai since 2008. When I was out working, I always missed my dog, so I wanted to work where I can stay together with my dog,” she says. “Now I am the most happy worker in the world.”

The cafe has a rotating menu of treats prepared daily, with items such as puppacinos — made using a slow broth of oxtail or chicken — and pupcakes made with beef or salmon combined with vegetables, or even tiered trays of treats for afternoon tea.

Dogs sit on high benches, placing their paws on the round, eagerly awaiting their order.

Meals at Happy Bark Day cost between $10 and $20, with cakes made especially for dogs' birthdays costing about $55. But for most pet owners, that is a small price to pay for their happiness.

“With our dog we do lots of activities. We do hiking and go for walks and swimming. But going to a restaurant it's like a unique and novel idea and concept,” owner Nivriti says.

“So definitely something that we wanted to try with her, and she loved it. We keep coming back.”

— With additional reporting by AFP and Reuters