When New York City’s first dog cafe, Boris & Horton, announced it would close its East Village and Williamsburg locations on Monday, February 26th, owner Logan Mikley said he was at a loss.
“It’s been a roller coaster. I don’t think I’ve ever been more depressed or disappointed in myself when they announced we were closing,” she told the Post.
Although it was a difficult time, she was in awe of the support of local people.
“People immediately started rallying around us and sharing what the cafe meant to them. It was basically like, ‘No, we can’t close it.’ I immediately felt it was bigger than just that.”
“Panic mode”
Logan and Coppie, the father-daughter duo of Boris and Horton, opened the city’s first dog-friendly cafe on the northwest corner of Avenue A and 12th a little more than six years ago. It quickly became a “staple” in the East Village.
Since the closure announcement, we have started hearing from people about their memories of B&H and how monumental moments in their lives happened there. People shared stories of meeting neighbors, going on first dates, meeting partners there, and even starting businesses out of the back of the cafe.
Amanda Gerzog, a digital marketer in New York City, told the Post that Boris & Horton has become her “happy place,” especially since she doesn’t have a dog in the city.
“Last week, the community was almost in a state of panic at the thought of losing this place. We’re really just trying to come together and build even closer ties and come together to figure out how we can help.” said Gertzog.
As a loyal customer who wanted to do whatever he could to show support, Gerzog gofundme It was dedicated to staff who will be out of work on Monday and has raised more than $20,000 within a week.
“This is a really happy place and a constant in my life for six years. They bring something to the table that no one has really done in the East Village before in terms of local business. ,” she said.
“There’s really energy.”
Mikley, who has a background in animal rescue, and his father, Koppy Holtzman, an entrepreneur, realized there was a market for dog-friendly experiences that included food and beverages, so they joined forces and launched the business in earnest.
“We always say dogs are conversation catalysts,” Miffley says. “I think having a dog-friendly environment and a really welcoming community space will encourage people to come to the cafe and talk to their neighbors and get to know each other.”
From the moment you step into either location, there’s “genuine chatter and buzz,” with people coming to work but not confined to their screens as usual.
“I noticed that they were looking up from their computers and talking to their neighbors a lot more,” she added. “The dogs are always on the move, so you get to interact with them and I think it creates a real energy, community and openness that you don’t find anywhere else in New York.”
Regulars call it their “third space,” and some say they chose the apartment simply because it’s on the same block as the cafe.
“The community that has formed in both locations is really great. You can just feel the atmosphere just sitting there,” Gertzog said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t start a conversation with someone.”
As Gertzog pointed out, it’s not just a safe place for humans, it’s also a safe place for dogs.
This is a great place for those bringing dogs who need to let off some extra stress during the workday, offering a place to socialize with other dogs, or giving dogs some extra attention while their owners work remotely. It is a place where you can get your money paid.
stubborn struggle
Customers may not have realized it, but Boris & Houghton had been struggling “for quite some time.”
“Some people came up to us and said, ‘I didn’t know you were hurting.’ We’re going to come more often and spend more money.” And we were like, oh. , I think they should have announced it sooner,” Mikley said.
“It was a lot more difficult than we expected,” Mikley said, adding that the opening of the Williamsburg store didn’t go the way they had hoped, with delays in beer and wine permits and “basic “There was a dog pandemic,” he said, adding that during the busy holiday season, the state of the world was not a “happy place.”
“We made the decision because the last few months have been really, really difficult. We’ve been talking about it for a long time, but we only made it official about a week and a half ago,” she said.
Customers were “enthusiastic” about the product and wanted to take home a piece of Boris & Houghton, with some telling the owners they wanted to make regular donations or sign up for memberships.
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But Mikley and Holtzman didn’t want to gate dogs in any way or make it a place where they had to pay to get in. entry,” Mikley explained.
But Mikley and Holtzman aren’t giving up.They are Started fundraising activities By Friday morning and Friday afternoon, more than $70,000 had been raised and counting to create T-shirts, hats, mugs and other items for subscription boxes that customers can purchase and receive each month. We commissioned a local artist.
“We felt like we have to celebrate this Hail Mary and keep trying to help people, and we want everyone to be willing to do their part.” I felt like that,” Mikley said.
Donations to the Save B&H Fundraiser and proceeds from the subscription box will hopefully create a strong income stream for the duo, helping with business planning and giving them “essentially a bit of an insurance plan.”
But B&H plans to close on Monday even if it reaches its $250,000 goal.
“The East Village Cafe has been open for six and a half years, and as you can imagine, dogs are very picky about space,” Mikley explained.
Plans include sprucing up the place, including deep cleaning, painting, fixing the air conditioning, replacing furniture, and editing the menu, as well as getting into the actual business planning and possibly introducing a manager to delegate responsibilities.
“We want to pause for a moment and take a hard look at everything…I think the only way to overcome this issue is for us to close.” [both locations] Or even for a week or two. ”
If Boris & Horton were to permanently close, Gertzog acknowledged that the East Village would be left with a “clear void.”
Whether the store closes permanently or just for a few weeks will ultimately depend on public support, but either way, Miffley and Holtzman are grateful.
“Even if this fundraiser doesn’t go well, it’s really heartening to see how people are rallying around us,” Mikli said.
