Get ready for a paw-tastic day of barks and sips in this corner of western Queens. Château Le Woof (CLW), a canine-centric café and bar in Astoria, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a fun-filled itinerary for National Dog Day, a national holiday that celebrates the loyal companionship of dogs every year on Aug. 26.
Located at 31-01 Vernon Blvd., CLW prides itself as the first dog café in the country while honoring its mission to host community events and support animal welfare organizations.
Aside from its flavorful offerings of coffee and treats, the National Dog Day bash will feature dog-friendly ice cream from Pupper Cup, dog hors d’oeuvres, imprinted lattes with your beloved pooch’s face courtesy of Ripples and professional portraits from renowned pet photographer Carmen Gonzalez. The party is set to start at 6 p.m. and run to 8 p.m. All dog lovers from Western Queens and beyond are welcome to join in on the festive occasion.
The annual celebration derived from the founder’s motivation to express her heartfelt appreciation for the community that supported CLW during the COVID-19 pandemic — whether by booking the private event space for dog parties or ordering various beverages. In her own
endeavors to support local artists, Contini became renowned for setting the stage for live jazz bands to play outside the café, to the delight of neighbors and customers.
The concept behind the canine space started with a near dognapping incident and a dream.
Natassa Contini, the founder of CLW, recounted the memory of searching for a cup of coffee while walking her dog in Astoria. “Someone tried to steal my dog once when I tied him outside of a café [while] grabbing a coffee, and that really stuck with me,” Contini said.
“One night, a few months later, I had a dream. I woke up the next morning and I looked at my partner at the time and [said], ‘a dog café,’” Contini continued. “And that’s when I knew I had to do this.”
In 2015, CLW originally opened in a smaller space a few blocks away from the current location, which is also the historic home of Sohmer & Company Piano Factory. In the past decade, the dog café and bar has helped hundreds of customers thrive in a social space with their pets.
“Dogs help people let their guard down. You’ll more than likely ask for someone’s name if they have a dog with them,” Contini explained. “So we love to bring people together through coffee, through dogs.”
CLW also offers grooming services for its canine customers, with high-quality cuts and color-buzzed coats by master groomer Kristian. “The idea is to hang while your dog is being pampered,” Contini said. “So you can drop off your pup [and] order a coffee, order a sandwich. We do brunch on the weekends, so you can order yourself some pancakes while your dog gets groomed.”
Another standout feature of CWL is the latte art featuring the adorable faces of man’s best friend, all done as a complementary service. “We do ask for our customers to give back. So every few weeks or months, we team up with a local shelter and any donations accepted for the
Ripples [latte art printers] go directly to [the shelter].”
When asked about their specialty coffee, Contini shared that CLW sources the coffee from local roasters as a way to support their businesses. The latte art is handcrafted by seasoned and novice baristas, some of whom have competed in the World Latte Art Championships.
Additionally, Contini collaborates with the HANAC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to hire eight high school interns, providing them with opportunities to practice productivity and professionalism.
Reflecting on her advice for future business owners with unique concept ideas, Contini believed that it is best not to “let fear take over you” and heed your instincts.
“If you’re looking to do something and things are going smoothly and it feels good, then that’s the path you should walk down. Listen to your gut.”
