17 June 2007, ST
Dog-friendly eateries offer mouth-watering dishes for pooches and their owners
By Huang Xueling
LIKE all businesses, the pet-cafe one can also be a dog-eat-dog affair, but that has not deterred a newcomer to set up shop.
Pawtobello, which opened in Mohamed Sultan Road on June 9, is a Parisian-chic cafe with vintage furniture.
The plush green sofa is from Denmark, the precious-looking chandelier is an antique from France as are the light pink rose-printed sofas.
Humans get to eat dishes like Jamaican Grill Rib Eye Steak ($18.90) and Weiner Schnitzel ($13.90) while the doggie menu has items like Doggie Crepes ($3.50) and Chicken Roulade ($5).
Owner Alicia Yap, who is in her late 20s, says she had no qualms about leaving her previous job as a software engineer, which paid $5,000 to $6,000 a month.
'I'm single, I'm young. If I don't do it now, I'll never do it,' says Ms Yap, who invested more than $100,000 in the venture.
She hired a chef with 10 years' experience in traditional Eastern European fare to cook for her human customers, and the dogs.
To up her competitive edge, she has imported pet costumes, leashes and other trinkets from places like the United States, Australia and Korea to sell.
Asked how business has turned out so far, she says: 'We just opened so we cannot really tell yet. But we do get quite a lot of customers without dogs coming in during lunch on weekdays.''
About seven pet cafes have been unleashed on the public in the past six years.
Going by what the owners of four of these cafes tell LifeStyle, the business does not seem to be lucrative, especially if food is all that it offers.
Mr Phred Wong, 42, owner of the five-year-old Royal Petique in Sin Ming Road, readily admits that the main core of his business comes from the grooming service.
'This is why our pet-shop concept is a 3-in-1. It has a cafe (Munchies), grooming salon (Royal Petique) and a photo studio (Munch Media),' he says.
He is making enough money to keep the business afloat, thanks to his regular clients.
Ms Gladys Leong, 27, owner of the two-year-old Worlds Apart Cafe in Kovan Road, has also learnt that running a pet cafe alone is not viable. She spent almost $100,000 to set up the business.
She says she has made no profits so far and hopes to move to a bigger shop in Pasir Ris by the end of this month to offer extra services like a grooming salon and a pet bakery.
Ms Koh Ying Ying, 25, who works at the nine-month-old Dogaholics in Serangoon Road, says business was bad in the first six months.
But it picked up after the cafe gained a reputation for its homely and cosy atmosphere where dogs are allowed to roam freely.
Still, she says, 'we haven't recovered the losses yet but it is on its way'.
Ms Raye Tan, 34, owner of Urban Pooch in Balestier Road which opened in November 2001, says you need a lot of passion to stay in the business.
But she notes that it is 'definitely a growing industry since Singaporeans are getting married later and treating their dogs like their own children'.
For now, she admits that she earns 'just enough for a salary', which is why she has to constantly think up new ideas to bring in more customers.
Urban Pooch recently underwent renovations and she plans to sell supplements, juice, fruit and herbs for dogs with skin problems.
As for more competitors snipping at her heels, she says: 'I don't mind it. I believe all the other cafes have their own strengths. So long as it's healthy competition, that's fine.'
Dog-friendly eateries offer mouth-watering dishes for pooches and their owners
By Huang Xueling
LIKE all businesses, the pet-cafe one can also be a dog-eat-dog affair, but that has not deterred a newcomer to set up shop.
Pawtobello, which opened in Mohamed Sultan Road on June 9, is a Parisian-chic cafe with vintage furniture.
The plush green sofa is from Denmark, the precious-looking chandelier is an antique from France as are the light pink rose-printed sofas.
Humans get to eat dishes like Jamaican Grill Rib Eye Steak ($18.90) and Weiner Schnitzel ($13.90) while the doggie menu has items like Doggie Crepes ($3.50) and Chicken Roulade ($5).
Owner Alicia Yap, who is in her late 20s, says she had no qualms about leaving her previous job as a software engineer, which paid $5,000 to $6,000 a month.
'I'm single, I'm young. If I don't do it now, I'll never do it,' says Ms Yap, who invested more than $100,000 in the venture.
She hired a chef with 10 years' experience in traditional Eastern European fare to cook for her human customers, and the dogs.
To up her competitive edge, she has imported pet costumes, leashes and other trinkets from places like the United States, Australia and Korea to sell.
Asked how business has turned out so far, she says: 'We just opened so we cannot really tell yet. But we do get quite a lot of customers without dogs coming in during lunch on weekdays.''
About seven pet cafes have been unleashed on the public in the past six years.
Going by what the owners of four of these cafes tell LifeStyle, the business does not seem to be lucrative, especially if food is all that it offers.
Mr Phred Wong, 42, owner of the five-year-old Royal Petique in Sin Ming Road, readily admits that the main core of his business comes from the grooming service.
'This is why our pet-shop concept is a 3-in-1. It has a cafe (Munchies), grooming salon (Royal Petique) and a photo studio (Munch Media),' he says.
He is making enough money to keep the business afloat, thanks to his regular clients.
Ms Gladys Leong, 27, owner of the two-year-old Worlds Apart Cafe in Kovan Road, has also learnt that running a pet cafe alone is not viable. She spent almost $100,000 to set up the business.
She says she has made no profits so far and hopes to move to a bigger shop in Pasir Ris by the end of this month to offer extra services like a grooming salon and a pet bakery.
Ms Koh Ying Ying, 25, who works at the nine-month-old Dogaholics in Serangoon Road, says business was bad in the first six months.
But it picked up after the cafe gained a reputation for its homely and cosy atmosphere where dogs are allowed to roam freely.
Still, she says, 'we haven't recovered the losses yet but it is on its way'.
Ms Raye Tan, 34, owner of Urban Pooch in Balestier Road which opened in November 2001, says you need a lot of passion to stay in the business.
But she notes that it is 'definitely a growing industry since Singaporeans are getting married later and treating their dogs like their own children'.
For now, she admits that she earns 'just enough for a salary', which is why she has to constantly think up new ideas to bring in more customers.
Urban Pooch recently underwent renovations and she plans to sell supplements, juice, fruit and herbs for dogs with skin problems.
As for more competitors snipping at her heels, she says: 'I don't mind it. I believe all the other cafes have their own strengths. So long as it's healthy competition, that's fine.'
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