Beloved dog café Boris & Horton closing both New York City locations
NEW YORK -- Beloved dog café Boris & Horton announced it is closing its locations in the East Village and Williamsburg, much to the dismay of dog owners and their furry friends.
On Monday, there was an outpouring of support from four-legged and two-legged patrons.
"Boris & Horton is part of my life. I'm here five times a day. This is how I get my dog fix. I don't have a dog and I love dogs, and I love coffee. You guys cannot close," customer Josh Beckerman said.
Humans and dogs alike were surprised and saddened to hear Boris & Horton, one of the first dog-friendly cafés in New York City, announced it is shutting down on Feb. 26.
"I can feel my blood pressure lower when I'm in here. I live a few buildings down, so this is like an extension of my living room," customer Greg Masters said.
"Cheese" isn't actually Masters' dog. It's a friends he met at the café. Like many patrons, he comes for the "paws-itive" atmosphere.
"I sat with him the other day. I demanded that I get him back," Masters said.
"It's very sad. My daughter lives around the corner, so she comes here without a dog just to get dog exposure and therapy," customer Elizabeth Derose said.
"I was completely devastated, which is why we had to make a last-minute run here. I wanted my son to see all the dogs in one place," a patron named David said.
The café provides an off-leash space for dogs and their humans to enjoy coffees and "puppucinos," and it offers all kinds of programming from dog bingo to dog-friendly comedy shows.
"I'm Anna. This is 'Zoe.' We're at the last comedy show at Boris & Horton, because they're closing," customer Anna Sterling said.
They come for the laughs and the community.
"This place helped me survive the city. I first discovered it back in 2018 and I moved here and chose to live in the East Village so I could be nearby," Sterling said.
The café was founded by a father-daughter duo six years ago.
"I have a dog, 'Boris;' Logan has a dog, 'Horton,' and we wanted a place where we could bring our dogs inside, have coffee, hang out," co-owner Coppy Holzman said.
They say running a businesses has its challenges, but theirs are especially unique and that means higher costs.
"We need a little bit more space to actually allow the dogs to play safely off leash. All of our plates and cups need to be disposable for health department guidelines. We need some additional staff and additional cleaning supplies," Logan said.
There has been such an outpouring of support from people and their furry friends, they're keeping their fingers crossed that Boris & Horton could find a way to stay open.
"I love Boris & Horton and I love you. Don't close," Beckerman said.
"We're hoping ... we're hoping the support that we've gotten from all of our wonderful friends, like you, It has been incredible," Holzman said.
The owners said their main focus is supporting their staff and remembering all the smiles the café has brought to the lives of countless New Yorkers and their best friends.
Until further notice, the shop will close Feb. 26. The owners are selling off merchandise and furniture, as well as running fundraiser to support staff who will be out of work.
