21/11/2021
We’ve all probably dined at a food truck at some point. Oh, the joy of fine dining on four wheels! But Gauteng (and in the not too distant future … Cape Town) dog lovers can also share the culinary joy of food on the go with their dogs. I've rolled out Doggy Delights & Treats Street Café, South Africa’s first ever food truck for dogs!
I had zero experience in the food truck world other than being hungry customers. I cooked up this idea years ago and when the opportunity presented itself in February 2021, I was convinced it was now or never!
It took a lot of time and work to get “Doggy Delights & Treats Street Café” outfitted and ready to go down the road, from the time it was manufactured in Cape Town to the time of going down to take delivery. It took four months to be ready to do my first event. In the meantime, I put in many hours of preparation to make this venture a huge one, simply because I have a huge passion for animals, particularly dogs!
What happens when my Doggy Delights Street Café rolls up? Well, the reactions are mixed … between the dogs and their owners:
I typically have two reactions to the café. The first is by the humans who are bewildered as to what I am actually selling. Nine times out of ten I notice the dog(s) figuring it out quicker than their owners with their noses raised high. I have started to have some regulars, both dogs and humans. I started in Spring, and although we have had glorious hot weather, there have been the days in between where it has felt like winter, and although it was not easy, I realised that there are a lot of dedicated dog owners here in Gauteng that hit the markets, rain or shine, cold or hot! On cold days, they can warm up with my coffee, tea or cuppaccino, and on the hot summer days I have delicious cold Expresso shake, along with my famous “Woof Juice” for children (and adults if they choose)!
Doggy Delights & Treats Street Café offers a few treats such as cup cakes and carrot cup cakes, to the pet parents, but the Doggy Delights Street Café is definitely dedicated to dogs! From Pupparoni & Cheese, to Bark Sticks, Tail Waggers, Chicken Mutt Balls, Good Dog Chicken Strips, Chicken a la Hound, Pawsome Leaning Tower of Pooch .... Doggy Delights has the treats your dog has been begging for and will also get their humans drooling!
The Doggy Delights food truck has a tip jar out, but the money isn’t for them. One hundred percent of the jar’s contents go to a dog rescue organisation – each month the contents will go to a different rescue organisation, together with the contents of a donations bin (dog food, cat food, blankets, dog toys, etc.) I am hoping to raise quite a large amount each month for the various rescue organisations. From now until the end of December, I will be raising funds for New Hope Rescue Centre.
I am already planning on expanding my business with another truck around the middle of 2022. In addition, I am working on expanding my offerings to include cat treats.
You can learn more about Doggy Delights & Treats by visiting my page, including where I will be on any given day. I am available for events as well, so for your dog’s next birthday party, why not allow me to cater? Your pup will be the BARK (talk) of the town for sure!
