(Yea, Ohio’s getting it right!)
DINING ARF FRESCO
Some eating places with patios go to the dogs, despite state ban
By Kevin Joy | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH (7-13-09)
Saliva dripped from Maxwell’s jowls as an afternoon treat — a whey-and-tomato concoction dubbed a Bloodhound Mary — was presented before his bulging eyes. The 75-pound boxer regularly visits “yappy hour” on Sundays at Bar 23 in the Short North — a prime outing for owner Nighat Bukhari along with other urbanites whose pampered pooches lack backyards of their own. Yet something is wrong with this picture: Dogs aren’t allowed.
With the exception of service animals, a 1954 Ohio law prohibits canines in restaurants and in bars that serve food — a ban that includes outdoor patios. The city, though, seems to have taken a “Don’t bark, don’t tell” approach to enforcement.
Bob Kramer, who supervises the Columbus Health Department food-safety program, doesn’t consider patio pooches a major issue. “I don’t think it poses a real food-safety threat, but it is a violation of the food code,” said Kramer, who couldn’t recall the last time he received a canine-related grievance. “If we see . . . (dogs) during our inspection, of course, we will mark it as a violation. And if we get a complaint, we’ll investigate it.”
Still, plenty of restaurants regularly host dog-oriented gatherings — to boost business and build community, they say.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers runs print ads for its monthly “Pooches and Pizza on the Patio” at the Polaris location.
A chalkboard outside Black Olive in the Short North touts its weekly “Mutts & Martinis” night. And the Bar 23 get-to-gether, a joint affair with the neighboring Three Dog Bakery, includes a tasting menu of gourmet doggy quiches and “pupcakes.”
Eric Gresak of Gresso’s in German Village has had “Pups on the Patio” — “my best night of the week” — since 2007, he said. He didn’t know of the law until recently, said Gresak, who shuddered at the thought of losing such business.
“People have said this is the only place they feel really welcome,” he said.
Venues with specialty nights aren’t the only establishments that cater to hounds. Restaurants and businesses along N. High Street and in other walking neighborhoods — such as German Village and Grandview Heights — place water dishes on sidewalks to attract customers who don’t want to leave their furry friends at home while running errands or enjoying a meal alfresco. “We want people in the neighborhood to feel welcome, . . . to pop in for breakfast while they’re walking their dog,” said coowner Kevin Malhame of the Northstar Cafe, which has outlets in the Short North and Clintonville areas. Such hospitality is sometimes a tipping point.
“If there’s a place where I can take a dog, I’m much more likely to go there,” said Vanessa McDaniel of Dublin. She took Colby, her 2-year-old Pekingese mix, to the “Dogs on the Deck” night last month at the Lodge Bar. “You work all day, and they want to be with you.”
Starbucks in the Short North once said nothing about takeout customers escorting dogs into the store but changed its stance in the wake of customer complaints. Ditto for the nearby Union Bar + Food. Meanwhile, the Downtown patio at Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails has never admitted dogs. “Many people have allergies, and not every dog is well-behaved,” co-owner Elizabeth Lessner said. “I would never want to put a visitor’s safety at risk.”
What’s illegal in Ohio, though, is legal in some other places: Laws regarding dogs on restaurant patios vary by state or municipality. In 2006, for example, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed a “doggy dining” bill allowing local governments to decide whether restaurant owners may permit canines on patios. Tennessee legislators passed a similar bill in May.
Two years ago, the Chicago City Council adopted a dog-friendly ordinance — issuing licenses to restaurants (at $450 each) a year later. Sixty-five Windy City places have the licenses. And, last year, Dallas approved a similar process.
Ohio could change its law with legislative action, according to Christopher Weiss, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health.
Susan Oilar plans to rally dog lovers to support a lifting of the ban. “I don’t understand the harm in it,” said the Three Dog Bakery co-owner, flanked recently by her Great Danes, Sadie and Solomon, at Bar 23. “You’re not preparing the food out here. “This is a great way for urban people to have time with their dogs. They don’t have a yard or a back porch.”
kjoy@dispatch.com
KELLIE MANIER DISPATCH
Maxwell the boxer enjoys a “muttini” at Bar 23.
