Newburyport small business owner Quinn Soine-Norris has opened a second Quinn’s Canine Cafe location in downtown Haverhill. (Courtesy photographs)
Forget the dog run: Haverhill’s canine companions have a brand-new hangout option in the city thanks to Quinn’s Canine Café on Washington Street.
Small business owner Quinn Soine-Norris spent 20 years crafting custom recipes for her pets using locally sourced ingredients and after the success of her Newburyport-based dog bakery, she’s opened a second store in downtown Haverhill.
Soine-Norris, who has been a mainstay at Haverhill’s Farmers Market for several years, says the community has been nothing but welcoming.
Quinn’s Canine Cafe, 41 Merrimack St., Haverhill.
“Haverhill has been fantastic. People think Newburyport has dogs? No: Haverhill crushes them by far,” Soine-Norris tells WHAV. “I had looked at the space we’re in now for 18 months, three months after that we signed a lease, and three months after that, we’re open.”
Devoting two-thirds of her 1,400-square-foot shop for dogs to roam, the business owner tells WHAV she’ll have food runners to bring treats to humans and animals as they browse retail items. Dog training sessions and interactive, pet-friendly game nights are also planned.
“People like to hang out with other people who have dogs,” reasoned Soine-Norris. “People are social creatures, dogs are social creatures, I say we should just all be social together!”
The shop’s fresh-made items are for dogs only and run $12 per pound. It takes Soine-Norris up to six months to develop each recipe in conjunction with a homeopathic veterinarian and canine nutritionist and several recipes are developed for animals on medication or special diets.
As the shop owner explains, exposing animals to higher-quality food helps owners save on vet bills in the long run.
“The reason that I’ve take such a diligent approach with it is because it saves on vet bills,” she said. “It’s all about balance: Eat good food and move your body, you have a better chance of living longer. What we spend on higher-end food, we save on vet bills.”
Quinn’s Canine Café celebrates their official grand opening on Saturday, June 16 at 11 a.m. at 41 Washington St. A ribbon cutting, raffles and professional dog portraits are planned.