Sit & Stay Cafe

I seem to remember an old Seinfeld (or perhaps it was Letterman?) routine in which he lampooned the notion of selling bottled water as a "diet" drink. This was before the days of "0 Calories!!" on bottled water and it may have even been before bottled water became such a trendy commodity. It does seem ludicrous when you think about it in the abstract, but then again, it shows how gullible we are when it comes to diet anything.

In any event, I thought about this when I read that a local pet supply store had opened a new "Sit & Stay Cafe" for pets and their owners that featured only water!!! No Joke. The allure of this "cafe" is simply the opportunity to sit and stay while enjoying the shopping experience at the store. The only amenities are a few tables and chairs (the folding variety), bottled water for the owners and bowls of water (at two different levels) for the pets.

I wish I could link you to the article that comes complete with photos of pet owners "sitting and staying" but the neighborhood paper only posts some stories on line. This clearly did not rank with impending zoning hearings or property tax hike, but it did rate enough to cover half a page (with color photos) in the News section!!!

According to the owners of the business, the idea "was to keep it as simple as possible," and just make it a gathering place for people who shop with their pets. Great idea. But don't go to the trouble of sponsoring a Grand Opening for tables and chairs--complete with PR firm sending out "invites" to privileged customers.

And please, do not call it a cafe. That would be akin to department stores labeling the chairs or benches that are scattered near the dressing rooms for shopping companions to wait for those who are trying on clothes, "Customer Cafes." Come on.

If the water only offering is a nod to the new sense of austerity, great. But don't blow it by tooting your own horn over a space that should always have been there.