Café for the Urbanite Dog

Raye and one of her furry clients

When Raye Tan sunk her savings into a pet café and boutique, her mother was the first to object – and she is still against her daughter’s choice. After all, Raye gave up a comfortable income as a leasing agent to pursue a dream as an entrepreneur when she started Urban Pooch Café. Today, the 36-year-old spends almost every day at work. “Now, I can’t even go on holidays easily because my customers only trust me to be around for their dogs,” she said. While she acknowledged that she would probably earn more working for others, Raye has not regretted her decision despite the many challenges in running her own show.

When she set up the dog café in 2001 with two friends, they had to raise a substantial capital of about $100,000. They also had to navigate a licensing minefield. “Because there was no precedent [for this business], I was referred from one government agency to another,” Raye recalled. It took four to six months to resolve both licensing and design issues such as having no recirculation of air in the ventilation system as is the case for most air-conditioners.

Raye never thought she would be the founder of a pioneer pet café in Singapore. In fact, Raye was never a big fan of dogs – until a puppy she reluctantly adopted fell seriously ill. “My whole life was disrupted when I adopted Sonny – I had to feed him, clean up his mess; I thought it was so troublesome,” she recalled.

When the poodle contracted a bad bout of mange in 2000 – an itchy infestation of mites in the skin that can cause severe hair loss and infection – Raye refused to put him down as advised and formed an extraordinary bond with the dog, caring for Sonny and changing his diet to fresh instead of packaged dog food, a diet that is viewed as a way to maximise the health of dogs as well as reduce allergies and diseases.

And Raye has become quite the chef, creating pet-friendly recipes for shepherd’s pie, meatballs and Japanese cheesecake – some of the café’s best sellers on its menu for dogs. Made with fresh ingredients, every meal is free from processed additives and preservatives.

“People still come and spend on their pets, but they would scrimp on themselves and just have a drink while their dogs eat.”

“I set up the café for Sonny with two partners then; all this was all for him,” she said. “We came up with the idea because in Singapore, there were really few eating places you could take your dog. We would get dirty looks and even get into arguments with people over it. It got really tedious.”

Today the café in Balestier (in central Singapore) welcomes both pets and owners and provides day care, overnight care and grooming services – pet services that now form a growing niche in Singapore. In tandem with growing affluence and pet ownership, the pet market has been making its own mark. The Singapore Department of Statistics estimates that the sale of pets and pets supplies will hit $1 billion next year, up from some $515 million in 2005.

And despite the economic downturn, Urban Pooch Café continues to see a regular stream of customers. When Singapore was at her café for the interview, Raye was dog-sitting seven dogs – including an overweight pooch that was sent there for some much needed exercise. Still, the recession has taken its toll – on the human part of the business. “People still come and spend on their pets, but they would scrimp on themselves and just have a drink while their dogs eat,” she revealed.

Raye and her inspiration, Sonny

Despite the rough ride ahead, Raye is pushing on, even as competitors have come and gone. At her lowest point in the venture, when her partners pulled out, it was her customers who had given her moral support. “I have made so many friends here, many of whom supported and cheered me on when I was down, I owe it to them to make this work,” she said.

Raye certainly has her fans and has been approached numerous times to collaborate on expansion plans. But the one-woman show wants to keep it that way to preserve the quality of the products and services. But that is not to say that Raye has no plans to grow. Her ultimate dream: to one day see Urban Pooch favourites right beside regular microwave dinners in the supermarkets.