New Rehoboth Beach ice cream parlor is going to the dogs (and their humans)

If someone says Suzanne Tretowicz’s business is going to the dogs, she takes it as a compliment.

Salty Paws is her new doggy ice cream parlor and bakery in downtown Rehoboth Beach that caters to tailwaggers.

For nearly three weeks, French bulldogs, chihuahuas, standard poodles, Labrador Retrievers and Leonbergers have been lapping up scoops of made-in-house ice creams with flavors like pumpkin, peanut butter, maple bacon, vanilla, blueberry and carob.

Owners also can reach into a freezer case and purchase brand-name frozen doggy delicacies such as Brothsciles (made with bone brew and beef), Bosco and Roxy's strawberry and banana push pops and The Bear & The Rat bacon and peanut butter yogurt cups. 

Looking for more gour-mutt treats? Check out the doggy doughnut bar with flavors such as birthday cake, cinnamon bun and coconut cream. 

Salty Paws, open daily, year-round, from 9 a.m. until "the last dog goes home," was unleashed by Tretowicz in late June in the Village By the Sea shops at 149 Rehoboth Ave. It's next door to Arena's Deli and Bar.

Customers can sit at four tables inside, or take the ice cream to go at two outdoor tables.

"It's no-holds barred. The dogs can do whatever they want," Tretowicz says. "We don't have rules for the dogs. They can sit on the tables. We always tell people, 'The dogs are our customers. You're just paying for them.'" 

Prices for the scooped ice cream range from $3.99 for a small cup to $6.99 for a large waffle bowl. Dogs can eat out of stainless steel bowls that are provided or paper cups. Cone flavors include pretzel and cake. 

"It's been so fun," Tretowicz  says. "The reaction of the town has been so supportive. It's all been word-of-mouth and it's traveled like wildfire. It's something different at the beach." 

Frank Cole agrees. The owner of Atlantic Cycles Bike Rentals on Wilmington Avenue,  he recently brought his dog, Chelsea.

"This is such a great idea," he told Tretowicz as his 11-year-old yellow Lab, known as the "Mayor of Wilmington Avenue," hunched over and chowed down a cup of maple bacon ice cream.

For many dogs, the consumption of dairy and sugar can upset their digestive systems. Salty Paws' ice cream is made with yogurt and goat's milk. No sugar is added.

Tretowicz says while owners can eat the doggy ice cream — "everything is human grade" —  she doesn't really recommend it.

The toppings available to sprinkle on (75 cents for one; two for $1.25) are geared toward canines. They aren't so drool-worthy, unless you like meaty snacks such as lamb and liver bites, beef tripe, chicken oatmeal crunch, beef crumbles, dehydrated chicken, and something called "duck crunch." 

The most popular combination so far is peanut butter ice cream with dehydrated chicken crumbles. 

For the people who want to have dessert alongside their dog, there is a separate freezer case that holds $3 Hershey novelty ice cream sandwiches, cones and bars just for humans.

The doggy ice cream parlor is the sister operation of Tretowicz's other business, All Dried Out. The store, a butcher shop for dogs, adjoins Salty Paws. It focuses on dehydrated dog treats (beef knee caps, duck necks or chicken feet, anyone?) along with raw dog food, fresh smoked bones and a bully stick bar. 

The shops are a spin-off of All Washed Up, Tretowicz's flagship West Grove, Pennsylvania, store and dog-grooming business that she's run for several years. 

Tretowicz, who runs the businesses with her partner Brian Smith, says she decided to make doggy ice cream after visiting the resort area for years and watching pet owners give their dogs ice cream.

"I knew we could offer a healthy alternative."

She says she hopes Salty Paws becomes "a part of the whole family beach experience. You know, 'We get our ice cream, and then we go get the dog his ice cream.'" 

Tretowicz is banking on the principle that nothing is too good for pets. And by catering a business toward animal lovers, she just might be barking up the right tree.

There are an estimated 89.7 million pet dogs in the United States, and 66.7 percent of those owners consider their dogs to be family members, according to a 2017-2018 survey by the American Pet Products Association. 

Spoiling pets continues to be on the upswing. This year, U.S. owners are expected to spend $72.13 billion on their pets. That's up from $69.51 billion in 2017. 

"Look at how many people love their dogs," Tretowicz says as she peers around her turquoise blue shop and sees more than a half dozen dogs and owners enjoying ice cream on a Friday morning.  

"I love walking in here. People treat their dogs like their children. You get the best side of people. People are always smiling."  

Laura Cannistraci, a teacher from Brooklyn, New York, who lives in Lewes during the summer, is one of those people. 

Cannistraci brought her two chihuahuas, Newt and Tonks, to the doggy ice cream parlor in a Radio Flyer wagon.

The family, who are repeat customers, came back last week to celebrate 4-year-old Newt's birthday. 

"It's awesome. It's fun. It's a happy place," said Cannistraci as one of her dogs ate maple honey bacon ice cream with beef toppings and the other licked a cup of peanut butter.

"We try a new flavor every time we come — like people do." 

Ice cream available for dogs at businesses isn't a new concept. For years, Dairy Queen has offered "Pup Cups," (small-servings of vanilla soft serve ice cream); Starbucks has free puppuccinos (a paper cup filled with whipped cream) and Shake Shack has Pooch-inis or vanilla custard topped with peanut butter sauce and dog biscuits.

But Tretowicz believes she might have the only ice cream shop that's just for dogs in the United States. Don Paletto, an ice cream parlor serving dog-friendly ice cream, opened in 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. 

Tretowicz says she loves watching the daily parade of dog breeds, which can change hourly. Recently, she said the store was crowded with giant breeds like Great Danes and Newfoundlands. "I said, 'Look out! The big boys are in the house.'" 

Evenings, in particular, have become a gathering place for dog lovers.

"At night, it's like doggy happy hour or it's like a late-night dog bar," she says laughing.

Most dogs, except for one rowdy tailwagger, have been on their best behavior. And both stores keep leashes at the front door in case a dog decides to run free.

"One of the biggest challenges is keeping the floor clean," Tretowicz says. No accidents, so far, but she's sure it will happen sooner rather than later. 

Now Trending:

Joe Biden stars with Obama in murder mystery set in Delaware

Hockessin shop offers dog-gone good doggie birthday cakes

Houston White brings both swagger and steak to Rehoboth dining scene

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico