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Natural Awakenings Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Dog-Food Menu Debuts at Marty’s Café

Marty’s Café in Washington Depot has always been dog-friendly but until now, the pups who sat outside with their humans were offered only table scraps. That changed this summer when Marty’s partnered with Paul’s Custom Pet Food (PCPF) of New Milford to create an actual dog-food menu. 

“My husband Steve and I are huge dog lovers and proponents of fresh, healthy, delicious food,” says G. Blane Withers, proprietor of Marty’s Café. “We have always welcomed four-legged friends to sit outside with their dining pet parents, so when Paul’s Custom Pet Food approached us about creating a separate dog-food menu, we jumped at the chance.”

Paul Gallant and Lynn Felici-Gallant, owners of Paul’s Custom Pet Food, create fresh, small-batch, veterinarian-approved real food for pets using local ingredients. Although some restaurants in the state offer burgers or scraps to dogs who dine with their humans outside, none—to their knowledge—offer an actual pet food menu akin to a kid’s menu. 
   
“Everyone who has a pet knows they are part of the family,” says Felici-Gallant. “We wanted the pups who visit Marty’s to have more than scraps—some of which might have been cooked with spices or ingredients such as onions that can be toxic. We want dogs to have fresh, nutritional food as a snack or a meal; we think they deserve that.” 

After having their own pup, Forest, test a few of the six varieties of fresh food and all of the treats that PCPF makes, Withers settled on three for the Marty’s dog-food menu:  Casey’s Chicken with Brown Rice; Spud’s Beef with Veggies; and Jessie’s Beef with Turkey Jambalaya. 

Marty’s offers outside seating to patrons and pups year-round, but for those 
who eschew sitting in the cold, the café also sells PCPF food and treats for take-out as part of its Marty’s Fresh program. The treats  are a good option for hikers and cross-country skiers with dogs; beef liver bites and peanut butter pumpkin cookies are available in pocket-sized packages. The dog food—sold alongside take-out items such as salads and sandwiches for humans—works for those seeking a quick meal for the whole family. 

For additional information about Paul’s Custom Pet Food, visit PaulsCustomPetFood.com. For more information on Marty’s Café, visit 
Facebook.com/Martys06794.Location: 4 Green Hill Rd, Washington Depot.