Save Good Dog Cafe!

Hi, my name is Tryphina Renz. I'm the owner of Good Dog Cafe in Fayetteville, Arkansas. My family and I founded Good Dog Cafe independently in 2018, taking a risk to pursue our dream of creating a fun and supportive community for dogs and their people to connect and socialize over food and coffee. After a year of renovations done by hand, we opened our doors in 2019 and were amazed by the response! Over three years of operation, we have been honored to provide a space for fun and relaxation during the stress of the pandemic. Our community of regulars and their dogs (most of whom we know by name!) have offered us so much joy and meaning.

However, early in 2022, compounding stress and chronic illness forced me to close the cafe to focus on my healing. The Good Dog Cafe community has been an incredible source of support for me and my family during this time, and I have been grateful for the kindness of the people I have connected with through the cafe. It has been such an affirmation of the value of the space Good Dog Cafe provides to have had such deep and meaningful connections arise from that work.

My family and I are big believers in supporting small, local businesses—we source as much of our stock as possible from local businesses like Stone Mill Bakery and Bad Dog Beanery. For us, supporting truly local business is an investment in ensuring the diversity and well-being of a community. Every day at the cafe has been an affirmation that our vision is shared by many others, and that the connection people find there is deeply needed.

We have been keeping the business afloat for the last few months, but the added financial stress of paying the bills while the doors are closed is making it difficult to focus on healing. Good Dog Cafe is a lifelong dream for me, and I want nothing more than to reopen our doors once I am in a better place. However, in order to ensure that can happen and I can return to work fully restored, I am reaching out for the support of our community in keeping the bills paid. We hope those in our community who have found joy and friendship in the cafe—or those who haven't yet come but want to—will help keep us going in a healthier, more centered future.

It is very hard for us to ask for help in this way—it is not what we normally do—but we have come to realize that what's normal is not always what is needed, and we really need the support of our community right now.

Any money raised goes directly to ensuring Good Dog Cafe has a place in Fayetteville. We are grateful in advance for any support you can provide, no matter how great or small.

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If you would like to read more about how our customers respond to the space, please check out our google reviews, like this one from Lexie Molinaro: "Wonderful local cafe to take the whole family!!! The atmosphere is like no other around, best dog park to take your dog in NWA. Friendly staff and owner. Great food and drinks at a decent price. Can not wait for them to extend hours! We will be back! You will not be disappointed if you decide to try them out. Best way to support local and have a great experience."