Brothers Kristoffer and Nikolas Powers started a natural dog food business in 2020, and in April 2022 opened Black Lab Cafe to serve their favorite clients.
The Black Lab Cafe in New York City is the first off-leash dog cafe where both humans and canines can wander around and greet their friends. Brothers Kristoffer and Nikolas Powers started a natural dog food business in 2020, and in April 2022 opened Black Lab Cafe to serve their favorite clients.
“We made it so that it would be comfortable for people to bring their dogs here and have them off leash, but also completely compliant with health code as well,” Nikolas Powers said.
Creating such an environment was not an easy task.
“If a business that allows pets is right next to a restaurant … the two locations must be completely separated by a floor-to-ceiling wall or walls and each location must have its own street entrance and separate address,” the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene states.
And so, the brothers set out to adhere to the law while creating a fun space for people and their pups.
“We made it glass so that dogs can see their parents or owners, however we like to call it, while they're in getting food,” Nikolas Powers said. “But so that this area is completely separate so that no dogs can go where we're serving food and drinks.”
The brothers have two black Labrador Retrievers, so the idea for their cafe hit close to home.
“It actually became kind of burdensome to want to grab a coffee or just have any kind of normal food and hang out with (the dogs),” Kristoffer Powers said. “So we just decided to make it ourselves.”
