To think this cafe needs to rethink their message to customers?

[GunpowderGelatine]

Seen this on Facebook today from a cafe -

So we are a dog friendly cafe which is completely acceptable by health and safety as long as the dogs don’t cook your food or enter the kitchen 😡 so don’t give us a hard time if you don’t like dogs because we like dogs better than humans - note don’t give Vicky a hard time over happy dogs because Vicky will always defend the dogs

Now I have a bit of a fear of dogs and wouldn't expect to see one in a cafe and I'd be a bit pissed off if I paid good money for food and drink only to be bollocked by "Vicky" if I didn't like a dog in my face AIBU to think it's not a good message to tell your paying customers that they come second to another species?

I have a mild dog phobia as a result of being attacked by out of control dogs. Well behaved dogs don't bother me too much, but out of control ones do.

I'd have little issue sharing a cafe space with well-behaved dogs, maybe even enjoy it, but this cafe sounds like it tolerates dogs being out of control. Sounds dangerous to me.

I think it's ridiculous to state that some slobbering overexcited pooch ALWAYS takes precedent over human paying customers.

But it’s not like a hospital or some sort of public services. It’s THEIR business. It’s THEIR business model. It might not work out. But it also might. Because lots of people do like dogs. But it’s what they’ve chosen to do with their business, in order to carve out their niche and attract paying customers.

There are loads and loads of businesses I think are absurd. I don’t get why people go to Disneyland or do cake smashes, I think both are ridiculous. But loads and loads of people do. The fact that I personally don’t like them clearly doesn’t make them bad business ideas.

In our local park, there are various groups of people - dog owners, people with toddlers, cyclists, runners, joggers, footballers, walkers, older or disabled people in wheelchairs.

Generally we all get along pretty well .... but there are, for example, a minority of inconsiderate owners who let their dogs jump everywhere, there are a few parents with babies who litter everywhere, the occasional footballer swears and screams at others, teenagers who drive their bikes erratically, one older very irascible person who seems to deliberately drive her wheelchair at people!

I suppose I’m trying to say that there can be inconsiderate people in any group and that the minority of any group can cause trouble or pain for others.

I wouldn't go there myself, and Vicky doesn't seem like a nice person, but seriously why all the angst about it? You know what to expect before you go in there, and no one is forcing you to go there.

If enough dog lovers like it, her cafe will be a success. If her manner puts off dog lovers as well as everyone else, it will close down.

Seriously, what else is there to say?? It's her cafe, she can do what she likes with it.

So you ask if you Abu, then when I tell you there are other options, you have the cheek to call me slow.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I’m just off to look for a fuck to give.......sorry, can’t find one.

Dog cafe, cat cafe all fine by me. Each to their own. I would never go in a cat cafe.
But Vicky sounds not only crazy, but unprofessional and aggressive

I don't understand about "child friendly cafes" - children are not another species, they are human, why wouldn't a cafe be child friendly (unless it served alcohol, in which case it's a bar really). I can't even cope with people who seriously compare people's dogs to people's actual children

I've been through the young kid years and loved talking my DC out. Now they are older I don't want to go to places with loads of kids. My local cafe is really nice but too many kids for my liking, they leave out loads of toys and have a small play area. I choose not to go there for that reason.

Well not all cafes welcome baby led weaning thank God for instance. And some cafes are more set up w room for pushchairs, provide baby changing, provide high chairs etc

I've been to a cat cafe, and seriously loved it. You have to book a timed session and are not let in at random times for safety reasons. They let the cats out after the coffee and cake is served up and they immediately started jumping onto people's laps and one CF tried to eat a cake.

After the coffee and cake you went into a large sitting room and just played with the cats for the rest of the hour.

It's definitely not a place to go if you don't want animals round your food, but the cats are completely banned from the kitchen which is closed off when the cats are roaming free.

I would also love a dog cafe where you just got to go and play with puppies for an hour.

I am actually a customer of Fairydust & I love being able to take my dog there, here in Cumbria there are a few dog friendly cafe & pubs, they are always busy & often need to book to get in, as there is a demand for them.

Back to Fairydust & Vicky

1. It’s signposted on the door that it’s a dog friendly establishment.
2. Dogs get given a blanket or a dog bed to sit/lie in beside your table, bowl of water & food if they want. No dogs are left to roam about or bother other patrons.
3. Vicky & her staff are all so friendly that she is not unhinged, horrible, terrible etc as been portrayed on this post. I think she maybe spoke out as she has been getting a lot of backlash from people that don’t like dogs in food establishments, plus people get jealous that she supports the town in events. The town she is in has loads of cafes, but only hers is dog friendly. It is always the packed out & you need to book in advance if you want to be guaranteed a table.
4. There are no environmental or health issues with the dogs being there & honestly it’s a beautiful quirky cafe that is doing really well.
5. Vicky also helped to get Silloth Green all tides up, organised & built a Fairy Trail where it’s got little Fairy Door etc to entertain the kids. The Green Hut serves drinks & cakes in the summer time, plus gives out dog poo bags to make sure The Green stays clean & free from dogs poo.

If you can imagine getting portrayed as being a band person, dirty cafe, dogs allowed etc etc on social media, it must get to her & her staff, so yes she has ended up being outspoken. You only have to look at all her customers comments on the Facebook post regarding dogs being allowed. I for one, can understand where she says she prefers dogs as they aren’t nasty & vindictive as some people have been.

Maybe instead of tearing the poor woman down, try to think what you would do if you were getting verbally attacked online for trying to do something good for the area.

She sounds barking! I'd avoid the cafe.

Good that they are being open about being 'dog friendly' so that I don't ever need to go in there.

Try owning a Cafe, you get permanent abuse because the kitchen is in the cafe and Environmental Health don't allow dogs in, then you get abuse because you do allow dogs in. If you are easily offended eat at home..

What is the problem? The message makes it clear that you wouldn't like the place and that the owners aren't keen on clients with your attitude. Surely it is therefore a useful notice and saves all parties from hassle. There are many alternative cafes in the world.

Hangry

I was about to respond to your post with "So do people" - but for once saved myself from public humiliation by reading to the end!

Dogs go to our local Caffè Nero because it's right beside the park.

@SchadenfreudePersonified I am learning that skill too now😂

Anyone want to open a guinea pig cafe

I'd only go there if they gave out complimentary ear-plugs!

All of that chirping, squeaking, purring and growling - no-one could hear themselves think!

I love piggies, but they are real little chatterboxes and very nosey - won't keep out of other people's conversations.

Wrong thread., sorry !

Don't apologise - I'm dying to know which thread you were aiming for, now.

@Knittinglikemad

On your description of the cafe, I'd be happy to go there. Vicki's post in isolation would put me off. So I think it's still a YANBU to the OP; the messages that the cafe and Vicki have posted don't give a good impression of the business to some of its potential customers. They should have worded their posts better.

That said, I do hope it's a vegetarian cafe. Going on about how dogs are better than humans, whilst serving meat from other animals, would make her seem a bit of a clown.

knittinglikemad

Thank you for this much fuller picture of the cafe and of Vicky.

A few of us on here suspected that she had just got sick of people complaining about her policy, and so was making it very clear that she allowed dogs, and if people didn't like it, they were free to lump it

She sounds lovely, and an absolute asset to the area.

Vicky sounds a bit too aggressive.

It also sounds incredibly informal.

If they just said dog friend and health and safety regulations adhered to so don't be shy, come in with your dog that's fine.

But the finding dogs better than humans is strange. Not strange to think it, but strange to say to customers. It's like going to a kids entertainment place advertised as we hate grown up, none welcome.

My friend volunteers in a cat cafe which I've not been to yet - but hope to. I love animals though. For those who don't, it's good to get a pre warning.

I would rather share a cafe with dogs then children, dogs tend to be better behaved

If you don’t like dogs then go to a different cafe.

I may be alone but I've never once seen a dog in a cafe confused

You’ve never been to Suffolk or Norfolk then! I don’t have dogs myself because of working but I grew up with dogs and love dogs. I think it’s great that people can take their dogs places and not have to tie the poor things up outside.