Pet bakeries ARE a thing. And a very successful thing that is building relationships with pet owners who will pay practically anything to make their dogs and cats smile.
Today supermarkets offer organic, GMO free and even gluten-free offerings pet foods; so why not take the next step and open a pet bakery?
We all know that chocolate is harmful to dogs, so these bakeries use carob instead of chocolate, little or no sugar, salt or artificial coloring, and ingredients that dogs tend to love and that are suited to their nutritional needs (that means lots of peanut butter and yogurt).
The LA Times profiled four dog successful bakeries to use as a model for your supermarket pet bakery.
The Dog Bakery is a big warehouse filled with pet supplies along Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista. There are shelves stocked with cat food, dog beds and hay for rabbits, there’s a counter and a big pastry case, behind which are sheet pan racks of baked goods fresh from the oven. You can also order birthday and celebration cakes…for your pets. There areWatermelon peanut butter cookies, snickerdoodles, frosted bone-shaped cakes, “animal-style hamburger” cookies, “barkin brownies,” barbecue rib- and cheese-flavored bone-shaped cookies, creme pies, carob chip cookies, mini carrot cakes and pawcakes.
The Naked Dog Bistro in Laguna Beach, is a small shop run by the mother-and-daughter team of Charlotte Bloom and Lindsay Poe. Poe is the baker, and her impressive pastries remind us of the Hostess cupcakes of childhood, as well as organic, small-batch dog food that Bloom makes. The shop also sells Puppy Scoops, an ice cream mix (maple bacon!) to which you add water and freeze. It’s also sold frozen by the scoop. There are Palm tree-shaped cookies, peanut butter and carob cupcakes, bacon cupcakes, sweet potato-cheddar “fries,” and chicken-Parmesan cupcakes.
Pussy & Pooch is a swank two story Beverly Hills shop that among other services has a “pawbar” cafe and a bakery that includes grab-and-go cakes and an impressive array of decorated cookies made from ingredients such as peanut butter, flax seed and oat flour; frosting from yogurt, rice and tapioca; and jars of sprinkles colored with dehydrated fruits and vegetables. They also do birthday pet brunches, with items such as canine quiches on the menu. There is also the prerequisite individual bundt cakes.
Three Dog Bakery is franchise chain now in Encino that started in Kansas City where you’ll find “collie cannoli,” hamburger pupcakes and cookies piped with the Dodgers insignia, seasonal bakery items (baseball-themed, Halloween), made-to-order birthday cakes, Dog tacos, “pet-it-fours”, bone sandwiches, peanut butter cups, “pugs in a blanket,” and ice cream sandwiches.
Stop laughing – you know how important pet food is to your store, now its time to just up the game a bit.