PUPPY PATIOS
Two Old Strathcona eateries welcome furry friends
Two Old Strathcona restaurants are letting their patrons’ furry friends onto their patios this summer.
El Cortez and Have Mercy — at 8232 Gateway Blvd. and 8230 Gateway Blvd. — have allowed dogs to join their owners outdoors since Wednesday, said co-owner Michael Maxxis. A dog owner himself, Maxxis wanted to bring dog-friendly regulations to his restaurants to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
“If we can have a dog on the patio, why not? Dogs are amazing. Why can’t they be everywhere?” he said.
Having received the green light from Alberta Health Services, El Cortez and Have Mercy has a few new patio rules. Dogs must be wellbehaved — if one gets out of control, its owners and the dog will be asked to leave. Aggressive breeds, such as German shepherds, pit bulls and Rottweilers, must be muzzled. To keep food uncontaminated, servers aren’t allowed to touch or clean up after dogs and water dishes cannot be cleaned in the same dishwasher used for human patrons. Dogs aren’t allowed inside, and must go straight to the patio.
Should accidents happen, the restaurants are equipped to remove and disinfect any mess. Only staff that don’t work with food can clean up messes left by dogs.
In the past month, AHS has received a large number of requests to allow animals onto patios from businesses in the Edmonton zone, said spokesperson Kerry Williamson in a statement Friday.
Williamson said that permission for animal-friendly patios is granted by AHS on a case-by-case basis. They require businesses to have rules and signage that explain which animals are allowed, where they are allowed and expectations for acceptable behaviour. Businesses must also introduce policies and train staff on responding to aggressive animals, fecal incidents and other possible concerns.
In the past, other Alberta businesses have brought dogs into their premises with success. Calgary restaurants Ranchman’s in 2012 and Vin Room in 2017 each received permission from AHS to let dogs onto their patios.
Others haven’t been so successful being dog-friendly. In February 2017, Calgary ’s Cold Garden Beverage Company allowed dogs into its tasting room, but was told by AHS to stop in May 2017.
Maxxis hopes other restaurants follow El Cortez and Have Mercy with pro-canine patios.
“Old Strathcona is just a great place to be in the summer,” he said. “I would love it if as many patios as possible opened up to dogs.”