‘April’ is Dog Café Face of the Year

Nicole Gamble pictured with April, her Cockapoo, who won the recent Face of Warehouse Café Facebook competition. The competition organised by Moria McClure, from the dog friendly café and Above and Beyond, attracted an unexpected 500 entries. DER0819GS-026

A Cockapoo has become the first poster girl for Derry’s popular Warehouse dog-friendly cafe in the city centre.

Staff at the ‘Above and Beyond’ crafts and gift shop and art gallery and Warehouse 1 Café’ complex, on Guildhall Street, were overwhelmed when they received in the region of 500 entries for their‘Face of the Warehouse 2019’ dog competition.

Cockapoo ‘April’ received the celebrity treatment on Friday as she arrived with owner, Nicole Gamble, to be unveiled as the winner of the competition.

Radio Ulster’s Sean Coyle announced that Nicole and her pooch had scooped first prize during the event, while runners-up were Anna Devine’s Chihuahu ‘Lola’ and Saoirse Martin’s equally adorable Golden Retriever ‘Daisy’ were also special guests.

Lisa McClure, from the dog friendly the Warehouse Café and Radio Ulsters Sean Coyle pictured with prize winners from the recent Face of Warehouse Café Facebook competition. Anna Devines Chihuahu Lola, on the left, was a runner-up, Nicole Gambles Cockapoo April took first prize and Saoirse Martins Golden Retriever Daisy was a runner-up. DER0819GS-030

Moira McClure, owner of the ‘Above and Beyond’ shop upstairs from the cafe (which is also dog friendly) organised the competition on the café’s Facebook page.

Lisa McClure, who runs the dog friendly café downstairs, described the response to the competition as “amazing.”

“We will have been dog friendly for a year at the start of March and we introduced the doggie menu back in September so it’s been going for about six months,” she noted. “This allows the owner to come in and have a coffee and a bite to eat without the dog sitting staring as there is something for them as well.”

Lisa said some pet owners have actually told them that they have been out walking their dogs in the town and when passing by their pets would actually try to pull them in the direction of the cafe. And with dog treats including ‘puppuccinos,’ ‘ham barkers’ and ‘pawesome bites’ on the menu, it’s no wonder the Warehouse has proved a big hit with ‘April,’ ‘Daisy,’ ‘Lola’ and their canine buddies.