Page 42 - Iconic Restaurateurs - The Entrepreneur Mag Ed. 3

Business Unusal
What was the inspiration for this venture?
The biggest inspiration was my Tayo girl. This brand has been one
and birthday parties at the café. It’s always fun to be at the café and
of my happiest ventures and something I’m proud of because I
witness how loving people are to their doggies.
get to spend more time with my kids while spoiling them with all
the healthy treats. I also get to do the one thing I always wanted
to do, to take my kids to work with me. The idea behind the café
was to have a space focused on creating a special hangout for all
our furry friends. One of the biggest problems that doggy parents
have is the lack of freedom and places to take their doggies out to
spend time with and socialize. Even if there are couple of places that
tolerate pets, they aren’t allowed inside premises. So, I wanted Tayo
The Entrepreneur
Bear to be a place where there are no
restrictions for doggies. We even have
a bunch of rules stated on a poster
mentioning ‘if you’re not a doggy
person this place is not for you’’, as
dogs are our number one priority.
Is there a story behind the
name?
The meaning of the word Tayo means
“We” in another language. The Café is
named after our Tayo girl. The brand
was founded for her as she suffers
from hip dysplasia and she cannot gain
additional amounts of weight. Feeding
her mass-produced dog food was not
an option. So, I always fed her home
cooked meals and homemade healthy
treats such as cupcakes, cakes and
varieties of cookies, so Tayo girl can
have the best.
Tell us about the day to day
operations of the café
It’s quite a fancy working schedule. The
café opens at 10.30 am to 8.30 pm from
Tuesdays to Sunday. We are closed on
Mondays because Mondays are our
beach or staying home day. We usually
start the day with bringing one of the
What about the R & D involved in food preparation for at Tayo bear.
three girls to the café or sometimes
pets?
all three of them. We have many What challenges did you face along the way?
like-minded humans who bring their Owning doggies all my life and working in the food industry for the I had to face many of them but thanks to my family and friends
doggies too. We have a few regulars past 5 years, there are couple of things I learned about health and who supported Tayo bear from the beginning, I made it through.
who give their dogs the best life you safety of food. It took years of reading, researching and having trial Opening Tayo bear was an enormous risk as it was a new concept to
will ever see. The girls who work at the runs by self-consuming the treats to make sure it’s safe to put Tayo Sri Lanka. There were many things to look into and with this being
café equally share the same passion for bear products to the public. We shelfed the products for more than something so new, it took a lot of effort to explain my concept to
doggies as I do, and they run around one year and ate so much doggy treats within this period. All treats the relevant authorities. With many health regulations to abide by, it
petting doggies and have interesting and food are made from human grade produce and ingredients. Our took ages to get the necessary approvals.
conversations about doggie adventures peanut butter and oat cookies are made from home-made peanut
butter and coconut. We have so many humans coming into the café
with their owners. We have play dates What is next for you?
who try the cookie themselves as it has no added flavors, sugar or
preservatives. All Tayo bear goods are freshly baked at the cafe in For now, we are working on animal safety laws which need to be
small quantities ensuring quality. implemented and dealt with in this country; we are helping a few
Since this is a new concept, how has public reception organizations who are working towards this goal. We also have
been? In terms of hot food offerings for owners, please joined puppy adoption days with animal welfare organizations at
They have been very understanding because we always give elaborate the café on weekends. Tayo bear will be launching a sub-brand of
doggies the priority and we strive to best cater to all doggies. We We have a small menu as we have a very homely kitchen in-house, doggie accessories called “Lilly Pudding”, named after my Lisa girl.
have had a few off days where it’s hard to control the number of yet we try to keep it fancy. We have a fabulous section of lunch, Also, we will be launching our very own Tayo bear website soon.
doggies because we have so many walking in and out of the café. breakfast and dinner options from savory to sweet food, along with There are a few more other interesting ventures and amazing plans
drinks. Everything from prawn toast to hot chocolate can be savored for the café but for now, I want to keep it simple.
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