At Okini Restaurant and Bar in Vancouver, co-owners Steph Wan and Kevin Lin craft gorgeous plates of AAA steak served with duck fat potatoes and broccolini, and golden eagle sablefish doused in a fuji apple broth and adorned with zucchini.

But itB次元官网网址檚 the clientele feasting on these meals that make the restaurant stand out. The dishes are meant for dogs and join a milk bone-rimmed B次元官网网址減awgaritaB次元官网网址� and a beef liver-dusted and pepperoni-topped B次元官网网址減awtiniB次元官网网址� on the small, pet-friendly menu Okini offers.

B次元官网网址淭he reaction has been crazy; like more than I anticipated,B次元官网网址� Wan said. B次元官网网址淓veryoneB次元官网网址檚 really excited about it.B次元官网网址�

OkiniB次元官网网址檚 efforts to ensure pets that tag along with their owners can fill their bellies too comes as a growing number of restaurants are adding dog-centric dishes to their menus.

Across Canada, there are now wineries selling B次元官网网址渂arkuterie boards,B次元官网网址� bars with mini picnic tables dogs can use to nibble on treats and dining establishments delivering non-alcoholic beer, cottage pie or peanut butter and ice cream to pups on their B次元官网网址減awtios.B次元官网网址�

Even big chains are in on the trend with A&W Canada offering $2 grass-fed beef patties for dogs last month and Shake Shack Canada selling vanilla custard laden with Wufers biscuits. Starbucks has similarly been known to dole out cups of whipped cream some dub B次元官网网址減uppuccinosB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址減up cups.B次元官网网址�

Matt Davis, the director of reservation company OpenTableB次元官网网址檚 Canadian business, suspects the increase in restaurants catering to dogs stems from a boom in pet ownership that shows no signs of slowing.

The Canadian dog population rose by 200,000 to 7.9 million between 2020 and 2022, the Canadian Animal Health Institute has said.

B次元官网网址淭here seemingly (are) pets everywhere,B次元官网网址� Davis said, noting that pups are plentiful when heB次元官网网址檚 out in Vancouver or visiting Toronto.

B次元官网网址淧eople are becoming more attached to them and they just like to be with them more frequently.B次元官网网址�

A May survey OpenTable commissioned of 1,000 dog owners in Canada found more than one-third dine out with their pets and 46 per cent take part on a weekly basis.

At Lobster Burger Bar in Toronto, not a day goes by without someone ordering from the B次元官网网址減aws to clawsB次元官网网址� menu, said Christopher Chan, the restaurantB次元官网网址檚 director of operations.

B次元官网网址淲e give the dogs little tables they can eat at, but IB次元官网网址檇 say half the owners like to pick them up and like them to eat at their table,B次元官网网址� he said.

While many need no excuse to bring Fido along for $11 cups of Thanksgiving turkey, zesty rosemary chicken or salmon meals from Puppy Gang Fresh Foods, Chan has noticed birthdays bring out plenty of dogs.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 probably the No. 1 (occasion they visit for) and if they donB次元官网网址檛 get a seat, theyB次元官网网址檙e so upset,B次元官网网址� he said.

Lobster Burger BarB次元官网网址檚 interest in catering to dog owners stemmed from the restaurantB次元官网网址檚 late owner Marcel Schneebeli, who noticed pet ownership soaring during the pandemic, when many people were home alone and seeking companionship.

Once lockdowns and other health measures lifted, these new pet owners realized there were few restaurants willing to welcome animals.

B次元官网网址淓ven if there was outdoor seating, sometimes dogs werenB次元官网网址檛 allowed,B次元官网网址� OkiniB次元官网网址檚 Wan recalled. B次元官网网址淭here were just so many restrictions in my city.B次元官网网址�

OpenTableB次元官网网址檚 research found 62 per cent of dog owners have experienced difficulty finding pet-friendly spots, though itB次元官网网址檚 becoming an easier task in recent years because the pandemic convinced some provinces, including Ontario, to rework laws to allow dogs into some parts of restaurants.

Wan and Lin, who own Boston terrier Tobiko and Pannacotta, a Maltese-Pekingese, were keen to be part of the wave of change.

After rounds of taste testing from their own dogs, they opened their patio to animals in late May and quickly found a canine customer base.

But itB次元官网网址檚 unclear how long the demand for such offerings will remain.

A recent survey of 300 Canadians from financial services firm Stifel found 41 per cent of respondents planned to decrease their spending on pet food and accessories over the next 12 months. Almost 60 per cent, however, expected to increase spending in these areas.

Davis predicted thereB次元官网网址檚 no end in sight for the dog-friendly menu. In fact, what restaurants like Okini are doing is just the beginning, he said.

B次元官网网址淵ou go into a grocery store in Los Angeles and there are dogs just everywhere, as if they were just part of the normal consumer that would be in a grocery store,B次元官网网址� Davis said.

B次元官网网址淪o in my mind, I think this is only going to increase.B次元官网网址�

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Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press