“This is the most handsome pug in the world,” says Jay Taylor who, with his wife Kim, owns the new pug café CuppaPug in Frisco, Texas. “His name,” Taylor says, adjusting the dog perched on his lap, “is Kevin.”
Kevin is extraordinarily handsome—a knockout, but he has some competition, namely the other five pugs that also belong to the Taylor family, plus the 15 or 20 dogs that DFW Pug Rescue will contribute to the mix every day. In other words, people who book an hour at CuppaPug will have no shortage of handsome, chubby pugs licking their faces and snuggling into their necks.
CuppaPug, a café and playroom (the two are separated for safety and sanitary reasons), is not unlike the more widely known cat cafés of the world, except with pugs instead of cats. The concept gives its customers a chance to support pug-rescue efforts by applying to adopt or foster DFW Pug Rescue dogs, while getting a chance to play and bond with them.
The first CuppaPug opened in London in 2022 before expanding to Manchester. Following the success of a location in Escondido, California, a second U.S. location is slated to open in Frisco on Friday, September 26.
CuppaPug functions on a reservation basis, with each session lasting one hour. When it opens on Friday, up to 20 guests at a time will be welcomed into the cheery, pink space. They’ll journey through a small gift shop with pug art and CuppaPug merchandise, including paw coasters, a pug-sized princess costume, a pug-sized Happy Birthday to Me bathing suit, and a human-sized Howdy Pug t-shirt featuring a pug in a sheriff’s hat.
From there, the group will enter an empty playroom, fitted with benches and a ball pit, and a song will pipe through the speakers: Who Let the Pugs Out? At that moment, pugs will burst through the doggie door into the room for an hour of fun for all. During the play session, the Taylors break out Puppacinos as a welcome treat.
Any CuppaPug visitor who falls in love with a DFW Pug Rescue dog can fill out an application to adopt or foster. And for those who want to foster, but are required to be in an office all day, they can leave their pugs at CuppaPug during work hours. The business is a win-win for humans and pugs alike. It’s also a win for dogs whose owners book a reservation at CuppaPug—if you have a small, well behaved dog, they are welcome to join in the fun.
It’s not uncommon for people to acquire pugs, learn that pug-ownership can mean some pretty intense snoring and some very large vet bills (pugs tend to have breathing issues and other health problems), resulting in the abandonment of their dogs. That explains why DFW Pug Rescue does hundreds of rescues a year, making them one of the country’s largest pug rescues. This partnership helps to broaden their reach, and aid in rehoming more pugs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
While dogs are sure to arrive with tails wagging in excitement, humans have treats to look forward to. CuppaPug’s food and beverage program will roll out in phases over the next year and a half. For now, customers can buy bottled waters and sodas, but in the next phase, local company Evergreen Coffee Co. will start selling coffee, and ultimately, the café will offer light fare, including a chicken-avocado sandwich, a tuna sandwich, a BLT, and cupcakes.
If you’re wondering whether Kevin and the Taylors’ other pugs mind going to work, instead of lazing around the house all day, Jay Taylor relays this scene: “I say, ‘Ok, guys, who wants to go to work?’ and they all pop their heads up. I say, ‘Who wants to go to CuppaPug?’ and they start spinning in circles and run directly to the garage to get into the car.”
CuppaPug, 8100 Stonebrook Pkwy, Frisco, cuppapug.com/locations/texas
