St. Petersburg will soon be getting its first dog-friendly coffee shop. Named in honor of Sage, their fourteen-year-old Australian Cattle dog, daughter-and-father team Dyllan Allen and Roy Allen will open Sage’s Playground at 216-218 Fourth Street N.
“[Dyllan] has a passion for coffee and dogs, and while she was in college she was spending a lot of time in coffee shops,” Roy Allen told What Now on Wednesday. “And she felt guilty leaving Sage at home. So she decided to open a pet-friendly coffee shop.”
Dyllan brings several years of experience in coffee to the project, and Roy is a longtime hospitality professional. Together, the local entrepreneurs are currently launching a coffee stand in front of the future brick-and-mortar location, which is expected to open in January or February of next year.
The brick-and-mortar will feature two spaces and two entrances. At 216 Fourth Street will be Sage’s Playground, a cafe serving Otus Coffee and a selection of Southwest-inflected breakfast and lunch offerings.
“I grew up in Dallas in the restaurant industry and I feel our area still doesn’t have enough Southwestern food,” Allen said. “There’s some Tex Mex, and Red Mesa is great, but it feels like there are still opportunities.”
At the 218 Fourth Street entrance, guests will be able to enter with their dogs. While dogs are not permitted in the cafe area, the playground space will be a great place for your best friend to enjoy some of Sage’s Playgrounds homemade dog treats.
The Allens have big plans for the space, which they see as a venue for a number of special events.
“We’re going to have live music, themed events, business and casual mixers,” said Allen. “And Dyllan is a dog sitter/walker, so she will offer those services from our shop.”
Be sure to follow @sages.playground on Instagram and support this local dog-friendly brand when its coffee cart launches at 218 Fourth St. N on August 28.
