We’ve all probably dined at a food truck at some point. Oh, the joy of fine dining on four wheels! But Seattle dog lovers can also share the culinary joy of food on the go with their dogs thanks to Ben and Dawn Ford. They rolled out The Seattle Barkery, Seattle’s first ever food truck for dogs!
“We had zero experience in the food truck world other than being hungry customers,” Ben told iHeartDogs. “My wife, Dawn cooked up this idea years ago and when the opportunity presented itself in 2014, she convinced me it was now or never!”
The couple said it took a lot of work to get “Buster” (the truck) outfitted and ready to go down the road because of laws, permitting, and the like. Not to mention, every city views food trucks differently, which created more hurdles for them to get over. From the time they got their business license in October 2014, it took 8 months to be ready to do their first event.
What happens when a dog food truck rolls up? Well, the reactions are mixed, Ben says:
We typically have two reactions to the truck. The first is by the humans who are bewildered as to what we’re actually selling. Nine times out of ten you’ll notice the dog(s) figuring it out quicker than their owners with their noses raised high. We often have a lot of regulars, both dogs and humans, especially at the dog parks. The winter months are not easy but thankfully we have a lot of dedicated dog owners here in Seattle that hit the parks, rain or shine! They warm up with our locally roasted “Middle Fork” drip coffee and in the summer we go through a LOT of their delicious cold brew, along with locally owned “Six Strawberries” ice pops.
As Ben mentions, they do offer a few treats, such as coffee for the pet parents, but the truck is definitely dedicated to dogs. From peanut butter pumpkin pretzels to bacon cupcakes and duck necks – they have the treats your dog has been begging for!
With a few exceptions, their treats are all made in-house because they wanted to ensure they were safe with no recalls. The exceptions are:
- Their doggie ice cream, which is Puppy Scoops brand (though they make the edible bowl it comes in!)
- The beef bones, that are locally sourced from Celtic BBQ restaurant
- The adorable bow ties they sell on the truck, from the local Pawfect Boutique.
The truck has a tip jar out, but the money isn’t for them. One hundred percent of the jar’s contents go to Old Dog Haven, a rescue and “fospice” for senior dogs. In just 10 months they have raised over $2,000 for the rescue.
The Fords are already planning on expanding their business with another truck by the end of summer. In addition, they are working on expanding their offerings to include cat treats.
You can learn more about The Seattle Barkery by visiting their website, including where they will be on any given day. They are available to reserve for events as well, so for your dog’s next birthday party, why not cater? Your pup will be the talk (bark?) of the dog park for sure. You can also follow them on Facebook.
