Nestled within the quaint streets of Queen Anne, only a five minute walk from the Seattle Pacific University campus, a newly opened cafe has caught the attention of many city-goers – and furry friends, too. That is right: introducing Coby’s Cafe, Seattle’s first approved dog cafe!
Owner Mary Wu first heard the concept of a “dog cafe” while she was teaching English in Korea. Upon adopting Coby — the beloved yorkie the cafe is based on — in 2020, she and her husband realized there were not many places that welcome dogs into a warm, safe environment in Seattle, unlike what she had seen in Korea. These experiences sparked the idea to open her own dog-centric cafe.
Starting out as pop-up shops, the concept behind Coby’s quickly became popular amongst dog parents. Wu took note of how everyone interacted; it was a welcoming environment, both for humans and dogs, and provided an easy opportunity for people to converse about different topics regarding their canine friends.
It took a while to find the perfect place to open the shop, but once they found a spot in Queen Anne, Wu and her crew got to work. She planned accordingly to adhere to guidelines, while also keeping in mind any potential situations they may need to prepare for. Wu explained the furniture was picked out not only for its pleasing style but for any “accidents” a dog might create.
The atmosphere of the establishment is charming and inviting for those looking to meet dogs, as well as anyone looking for a place to relax. The two separate rooms hold many places to sit and hang out. As a student, the separated cafe is the perfect place to study. Dog parents and dog lovers alike can find themselves meeting various fuzzy companions in their respective area.
Wu sees Coby’s as an opportunity for people to more easily interact and learn from fellow dog parents.
“Dogs give so much ‘ice-breaker’ aspect to the interactions,” Wu said. “It’s been so rewarding to see people interact with each other.”
The cafe itself offers an array of treats for both dogs and humans. Their most popular items include their delicious paninis and matcha drinks. They also offer a unique item, the Croffle: a savory croissant dough pressed into a waffle shape, topped with various sweet toppings. Wu has worked to source almost all their ingredients locally, notably Anchorhead Coffee and Miro Tea, as well as reaching out to small companies. She puts the ingredient quality as their top priority, so as to provide the best services.
Do not forget the pups! Alongside the human options, Coby’s Cafe offers a variety of healthy, tasty snacks for your furry friends, including their popular Woofles and, matching their parents’ matcha latte, Pawcha lattes – both using spinach powder and coconut milk to mimic a human’s food but with ingredients beneficial to dogs. Not only do dogs have multiple treats to choose from, Coby’s also offers a range of merchandise, ranging from toys, snacks and other useful pet items.
Wu is incredibly proud of what she has been able to accomplish with the experience.
“On a personal level, it’s been like, ‘wow, I didn’t know I was capable of doing all this,’ and I think that’s given me a lot of confidence,” Wu said.
Wu hopes to see Coby’s Cafe continue to grow and host more events in the future, as she has seen them to be incredibly successful thus far. She also hopes to see a trend pick up in the rest of Seattle: more dog-centric cafes opening to welcome our beloved furry friends in a comfortable setting.
