Dog Day Coffee — Restaurant in Austin

NOT DOG FRIENDLY AT ALL, nor are the people who work there friendly in general.

Please don’t be fooled by the name Dog Day Coffee. And please don’t bring your dogs here as the people who work here do not like dogs.

I’m a resident at the apartments above and came for the grand opening of the store, and also have frequented the coffee shop multiple times since opening a month ago. I always just order my coffee to go and never bother anyone in the place, and 50% of those times I bring my dog inside with me since we’ll be walking anyway so I stop in to get my coffee. My dog is small and only 25 lbs.

Today I went in with my boyfriend and my dog and there was a small chihuahua inside who was raising teeth at my dog. So naturally, as a DOG, my dog growled back. A lady who works there yelled and told me to take my dog outside. Mind you, the couple with the Chihuahua were leaving, and they clearly weren’t even bothered by the interaction and told us “no worries at all! we finished and we’re heading out”.

So since the other dog left, my boyfriend and my dog came back in. We were just waiting for our coffee and the lady yelled at us again to leave and put my dog outside. I told her the other dog left AND I come all the time with my dog and she’s so gentle and quiet it was just that the other dog raised teeth and made her defensive.

She proceeded to then tell me my dog could NEVER come back into the coffee shop.

It was a horrible experience, and truthfully why call your coffee shop “Dog Day Coffee” if you can’t handle dogs being dogs. It’s ONE thing if they were fighting or barking loud, but this was a very short growl interaction and is a NORMAL animal instinct if another dog raises teeth.

It would be wise for the owner of this establishment to hire people who are 1. Friendlier in general and 2. More understanding of small mishaps that can happen between animals, especially if it was a simple growl and no loud barking or biting or fighting was happening.

I’ve never experienced this level of disrespect from a coffee shop in Austin and I’ve lived here...

In an industry with razor-thin net margins, high fixed costs, and low barriers to entry, you’d think customer experience would be a top priority. Unfortunately, that message seems to have missed the team at Dog Day Coffee—along with any sense of warmth or hospitality.

Let’s clear up one thing for potential visitors: despite its charmingly misleading name, Dog Day Coffee is not dog friendly. Unless, of course, your pup has completed advanced obedience training, passed a multi-round behavioral interview, and maybe even written a reflective essay—personally vetted by the barista.

Speaking of whom—our experience with the bald-headed barista was especially memorable. After our golden retriever puppy playfully jumped on a stranger—who had initiated the interaction, mind you—on the public sidewalk, we were met not with a friendly exchange or a gentle clarification, but with a remarkably snide remark when I inquired if dogs were allowed inside. (The interaction happened before I need entered the place with my puppy outside to ask the question while my wife was holding him). Apparently, our pup failed to meet the behavioral criteria for not entering the premises. For context: he never even set a paw inside.

To be clear, I respect and support policies aimed at maintaining cleanliness, safety, and comfort for all customers. What I don’t support is the passive-aggressive application (or information sharing) of a rule, delivered with a tone that felt more personal than professional. Whether unconscious bias was at play, I’ll leave that for management to ponder—but the undertones were unmistakable.

This review isn’t about the coffee (we didn’t even stick around long enough to try the somewhat bland menu). It’s about how people are treated. And after reading a few other reviews, it’s clear our experience is far from isolated - it's part of an emerging pattern.

We took our business elsewhere—and we won’t be back. But to the staff: keep up the warm, welcoming vibes. With customer service like this, you're on a fast track to......

We've been coming to Dog Day since just before the big move, but everything that made the pop-up in the back of an English pub so great has carried over to the modern Dog Day. The owners seem to be warm, good, and authentic people, and the spaces they cultivate reflect that authenticity.

And if you're not going there for the people, you're certainly going there for the coffee! The iced mocha is delicious and (importantly) consistent, having become a staple of my weekly visits. The menu is inherently fun, so if you're the type to experiment at your local shops, give the nitro flight a try. The flavors will definitely surprise and delight you!

Prices are great, values and mission are great, and the vibe is immaculate. And if you're constantly finding yourself frustrated by other coffee shops, you'll be happy to learn that a) parking is plentiful b) the bathrooms are clean and c) seating options are diverse.

Plus, the tables are plenty big enough for your laptop set up, a drawing board, and even a decently-sized boardgame!

No business is perfect, so here are the downsides/neutral points: Noise control seems to be a WIP still. If everyone is talking, it can get hard to hear your tablemates. The most common seats have bars that dig into you if you've got a bigger backside. Most restaurants in Austin have these metal chairs now- if you know, you know. Some pastries are better if you order a drink to enjoy alongside them.

I'm here every week now, and as a lover of local coffee spots, there's a reason I keep coming back to Dog Day. If you haven't had it yet,...