Hi 'Reeses Fans!!!
I hope you like eating out.
I love joining Mommy & Daddy when they go out to eat! I get to see new people and other puppy friends who are eating out too. Eating out is extra fun as I get TWO car rides as well!!!
Check out puppy dining in Florida, where I live!
Love
Tyreese
RESTAURANTS
Florida eateries gain by going to the dogs
By putting dog food on menus, Florida restaurants have increased profits.
BY STEVE MATTHEWS
Bloomberg News
Grilled tuna and key lime pie aren't the only specialties at Sam Snead's Restaurant. The Orlando eatery also offers a chicken-and-kibble entree -- served on a Frisbee for its canine guests.
Sam Snead's restaurant, like many others, is taking advantage of a change in state law allowing dogs at outdoor dining areas. Sales are up 5 percent since the patio was opened to dogs, said owner Candie Ryser, who helped push for the new law. Customers eat and drink more if they don't have to rush home to their pets, she said. Additional revenue comes from the canine menu, including $9.25 tenderloin tips and a $4.25 ``bow-wow pizza.''
''Sasha really enjoyed the experience,'' said Jason Callison, 34, a software development manager who dined at Sam Snead's with Sasha, his cocker spaniel. ``The waitress brought a bowl of water with our drink orders.''
Dogs aren't welcome at most restaurants across the country, and Food and Drug Administration recommendations generally bar dogs other than those that assist blind or disabled people. But now, under a three-year pilot program that took effect in July, Florida cities can opt out of the FDA guidelines and permit dogs on decks and patios.
A proliferation of couples without children, divorcees and singles has made dining with dogs increasingly important, pet owners say.
''Dogs are the children of the new millennium,'' said Tina Valant-Siebelts, a Boca Raton photographer who sometimes dines with Mack, her Australian shepherd. ``The greatest benefit is you'll never have to dine alone.''
At Boca Raton's Cucina D'Angelo restaurant, more than 100 people and 60 dogs attended a ''yappy hour'' in January. In addition to an Italian buffet and dog treats, massages were available -- for the dogs.
The Three Dog Bakery in Boca Raton is planning a Dogs Night Out at a Starbucks that has outdoor seating, said owner Robyn Edelson. The bakery will get to market its dog treats, and profits will be donated to an animal shelter.
Tourism, Florida's biggest industry, may benefit as well. The state's lodging and restaurant association helped push for the law. An estimated 14 percent of Americans travel with pets, according to a survey by the Travel Industry Association, a Washington-based trade group.
While Florida's climate is conducive to dining alfresco much of the year, cities elsewhere are joining the dog-dining movement. In January, the Dallas City Council approved an ordinance allowing dogs on restaurant patios.
Not all Florida cities are opening their eateries to dogs.
Pembroke Pines' commissioners worried that letting dogs in could be a first step toward admitting other animals to restaurants, Mayor Frank Ortis said. Juno Beach won't permit dogs at restaurants because it could lead to allowing them on the town's beaches, where they are strictly prohibited.
Even some supporters acknowledge that doggie diners can get unruly. Valant-Siebelts said she has observed dogs on chairs -- forbidden under the law -- and licking plates used for human guests. Still, it's no worse than an ill-behaved child throwing french fries, she said.
The Florida law will expire in 2009 unless the Legislature renews it, which pet owners like Henry Corona will want.
Corona dresses up his Yorkshire terriers for nights out in South Beach. ''My Yorkies are like little socialites,'' said Corona, a graphic artist. ``They enjoy the outing as much as I do.''
