Pug life – Little Black Pug Cafe brings pooch-friendly vibes to Mount Gravatt
Sure, it’s one thing to say your cafe is dog friendly, but when you’re chomping down on eggs benny and your poor pooch is stuck looking miserably at a communal container of half-slurped water, you can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Thankfully, someone is thinking of the doggos. Mount Gravatt’s Little Black Pug Cafe has arrived on the scene, operated by two die-hard dog lovers that have ditched their established careers in science to open up one of Brisbane’s most pup-positive eateries.
The story
Since assembling coherent recipes when she was four years of age, to working in cafes and restaurants during her studies, Louise Daly has always had an eye on hospitality. Despite her keen interest in cooking, a career in science called, and it wasn’t until her contract in cytogenetics ended and she found herself in career limbo that she decided to investigate jumping headfirst into food. Although initially choosing to craft artisan macarons, commercial kitchen costs forced Lou to look into a bricks-and-mortar cafe. Eventually, she convinced her husband Josh (himself a microbiologist) to join her, and the two swapped lab coats for aprons and set about creating what would become Little Black Pug Cafe.
The venue
Taking inspiration from their beloved pups Bowie and Mate (a pair of adorable black pug cross-breeds), the duo decided to up the standard of dog-friendly cafes in Brisbane and pair a pooch-friendly aesthetic with Lou’s inspired vision for wholesome fare and terrific coffee with an environmentally conscious lean. Little Black Pug Cafe sits in the space formerly occupied by Slack’s Track Cafe, but the duo has gone to great lengths to imbue it with their own style. A combination of black, white, wood, greenery and stainless steel forms the aesthetic palette, with the interior boasting a smart industrial edge. Outdoor seating is available for those with dogs in tow, with each canine given its own mat, bowl and menu of treats to devour.
The food and drink
On the topic of devouring, Louise and Josh have kicked off trading with a menu of simple recipes executed with care, including plenty of gluten-free eats. Early favourites are the Lagotto (homemade pappardelle, truffle, 63-degree eggs and mushroom sauce), the Nacho Imposter (crispy corn fritters, tomato relish, guacamole and sour cream), the Woofles (cheese waffles with smoked ham or salmon, herbed cream cheese and 63-degree eggs) and the Hey Hotcakes (hotcake stack with homemade salted maple ice-cream, whipped butter, maple syrup and toasted hazelnut praline). The menu is further fleshed out with a range of focaccias, croissants, smoothie bowls, smoothies and Toby’s Estate coffee, but it’s the pooch-friendly menu that’ll have pups salivating. Lou and Josh serve up puppyccinos, sweet potato, liver, beetroot or carrot treats, and doggy ice-cream from Hugo’s Ice Creamery.
Keep your eyes peeled for Little Black Pug’s grand opening celebration on Saturday May 5, when the cafe will partner with Pugs SOS to inundate the cafe with pat-hungry pugs. Check out the Stumble Guide for contact details and opening hours.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
