NASHUA, NH – Being a seasoned dog trainer, Ashyana Hall noticed a dilemma among her clients.
“Especially here in New England, many of my clients were like, ‘well, in the winter there’s nowhere for me to go with my dog,’” She said. “‘We can’t walk them because there’s no distractions because no one else is out in a foot of snow and there’s nowhere for me to go inside to work with them where it’s casual’ and I didn’t have an answer for them.”
With no apparent solutions, inspiration struck to create one herself, and in August 2023, the idea of a Pup In A Cup, a canine cafe, was born. The cafe is set to open this August, in the Sun Plaza, 295 Daniel Webster Highway, in Nashua.
“I tried to do research on it beforehand and I couldn’t find one in the United States so as far as I’m aware, it doesn’t exist here,” Hall said.
The closest concepts that aligned with her vision existed overseas, the closest thing in New England being dog park-bar hybrids. Hall knew for some dogs – like her own, Athena, – dog parks can be overwhelming and not an ideal option, and that a more low-key environment would be more suitable for them.
“It’s creating a space for dogs more like that where they can be calm, they can relax still on leash with their parents, and have the owners feel welcome,” she said. “Even my dog, people look at her like she’s a nuisance, she’s an extra, and not like she’s basically my daughter, so I want a place where people feel like their dog is actually welcome.”
On the menu will be smoothies and teas with dog-friendly versions made with the same human ingredients. There will also be treats like cookies and whoopie pies, again with dog-safe options from places such as Buff Cake Barkery in Nashua.
“My goal is to have a menu that matches, because I want to treat them like family, not just like, here’s a milk bone for your dog, or here’s a cup of whipped cream. I wanted to do more than that,” Hall said. “At this point in society, they’re not pets. Most, if not all of them, are family and I feel like they really should be treated like that.”
