There are countless upsides to having a pet — a strong immune system, decreased risk of having a heart attack and of course, a happy mind. However, there are certain downsides too, like having your social life take a massive hit. Nayani Tandon faced this problem when she got her first pet, a beautiful yellow labrador called Bobo.
“I couldn’t go out for two years. Though I love all my dogs, I saw my social life diminishing dramatically. Plus, I didn’t want to take up a job where I would have to leave them behind for 8-9 hours. That’s how Puppychino happened,” she says.
Puppychino, a café dedicated to dogs, is located in New Delhi’s upmarket Shahpur Jat, which is otherwise known for its impressive fashion boutiques and prominent cafés. From celebrating pet birthdays to sharing a meal with the pooches, Puppychino is the perfect haven for pet owners.
The décor is happy and minimalist. Divided into two sections — dining and play — this space also offers an extensive menu for pets as well as humans. The interestingly named dishes include Snoopy Spaghetti, Toothsome Pancakes, Pupsicles, etc. Nayani says the cafe has celebrated more than 400 hundred birthdays by now.
“I created the menu keeping a lot of things in mind. For instance, some dogs are allergic to wheat, so we have many gluten-free alternates. We also replace creams with yogurt to give them a tummy-healthy option. We don’t use sugar and chocolate as they are a complete no-no for dogs. However, since vanilla ice-cream is allowed as a rare indulgence, we use it in our pancakes,” says Nayani, who has even added something called Dog’s Beer, which is made of chicken stock and molasses. After creating the dishes, Nayani tries them out on her own dogs before introducing these on the menu.
“Opening this cafe has to be the best thing I have done in life,” she says with a grin, while scolding Mousse and Simba for being naughty; Bobo couldn’t join them because she’s unwell.
Puppychino is open six days a week. Nayani says most dogs usually get along and guests are expected to inform the owners of their pets’ temperament and behaviour. Hygiene is of utmost importance to Nayani and she has a team to clean up after the pooches. “The dogs are allowed to eat anywhere, even at the table. We ensure the table is cleaned with sanitiser after,” she happily says. “Everyday is new but this is what makes it even more interesting,” she signs off.
