Ruby Skollar
Established in 2015, Château Le Woof, located on Vernon boulevard, became the first dog cafe in the country.
Natassa Contini, the owner, always struggled finding a local coffee spot that was also pet-friendly. After someone tried to walk away with her dog who was tied outside a cafe, she knew something had to change. Later that week she had a vision of herself sitting in a cafe with her dog, enjoying a cup of coffee, and the idea for a dog cafe came to life.
Contini worked in restaurants, nightlife and other cafes, and was able to build her background in business. Within one week of finding the perfect building, she quit her other jobs and began building Château Le Woof.
Two main goals quickly emerged: Community and Coffee.
Château Le Woof encourages connections within the Astoria community. A whole section of the cafe is solely meant for you and your dog to bond with others. “At most coffee shops you sit at your own computer and you’re in your own zone. And this is the complete opposite of that,” says Contini.
Connections at the cafe are made instantly between the pets and between dog owners. People are always happy to talk about their dogs and the dog area of the cafe helps facilitate those conversations. The dog section has an off leash area where dogs can play and owners can talk.
“It’s a great place,” said Giovanna Dolan, a customer at the cafe, “It’s great for dog owners and it’s great for people who like dogs.” Giovanna and her dog, Ella, have been regulars at the cafe for over a year. According to Giovanna, the cafe has brought Ella out of her shell and she’s become a lot more comfortable with other dogs. Ella even celebrated her birthday at the cafe with a dog cake.
Château Le Woof hosts all kinds of events. Apart from dog birthday parties, they’ve held pug parties, dog discos and tributes to dogs that have passed away.
“There’s a lot of regulars, a lot of people come here often,” said Madeeha Hussain, cafe employee, “it’s their go-to spot for anything like food, dog items or even some cat owners come here for treats.” The cafe is also equipped with a pet boutique with dog products for purchase including shampoo and other cleaning products, toys and food bowls.
Château Le Woof also aims to supply their customers with specialty coffee. They work with coffee bean suppliers from Arkansas, Delaware, as well as local coffee roasters in Brooklyn.
This woman-owned business serves the people and dogs of Astoria with brunch, coffee, events and even grooming services.
“The community is the backbone to most businesses in the neighborhood. And I think that’s where I feel the most lucky is this little nook of West Astoria,” says Contini, “It’s the locals that have kept us going.”
