Bringing your dog inside of a Chicago food establishment could be allowed if a new proposed ordinance passes city council.
The ‘Dog-Friendly Business Ordinance’ would give retail food establishments the option to participate as a dog-friendly business. They would need to use clear signage letting other customers know dogs are allowed inside, and would need to adhere to health protocols such as pet vaccine requirements, sanitizing equipment and tables and not allowing employees to touch the animal.
It would also maintain existing guidelines for support and service animals. The proposal would also not allow dogs to be off leash, and would limit it to one dog per customer.
It also would not require or force food establishments to allow dogs inside.
“If you want to be a dog-friendly business you’re signing up for set of rules to make sure that it’s clean and comfortable for everyone coming in,” Alderman Timmy Knudsen told NBC Chicago. “I believe small business owners who run on tight margins should have flexibility to operate their business as they want.”
The concept for the ordinance started in a French pastry shop in Lincoln Park earlier this year.
“Unbeknown to us we would allow customers to come in with their dog on a leash to grab coffee to-go and we didn’t think anything was wrong,” said Sophie Evanoff, owner of Vanille.
But she soon received a visit from the Chicago Department of Public Health, informing her they received complaints about dogs being inside. Under current city ordinance, dogs are only permitted on outdoor patios.
“The health department showed up three times, back-to-back three months in a row and we found out it was because of a dog complaint,” she said.
Those visits each took up multiple hours, including one visit the day before the pastry shop’s Valentine’s Day surge.
“I asked her [CDPH inspector] well what can we do about this,” Evanoff said. “And she said ‘well, if you want to change the law.'”
So Evanoff made the call to Knudsen, letting him know how the current law hurts their business.
“It really dictates dog owners spending habits of where they can take their dog in and not,” she said.
Knudsen worked with CDPH and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection for their input. He plans to introduce the ordinance Thursday, and hopes for a full council vote in October.
CDPH tells NBC 5 in a statement:
“The Chicago Food Code Rules do not currently allow for dogs or pets inside retail food establishments, with provisions for service animals. CDPH will continue to enforce the current regulations, but we are always prepared to work with our many City partners to develop updated practices while continuing to ensure food safety standards are met.”