Yomiko Café Opens Its Doors to Dogs – With a Little Help from Best Bark

Yomiko Café in Coleraine has officially become dog friendly, and it turns out the decision was inspired by a simple nudge from Northern Ireland’s growing dog-loving community Best Bark.

After being asked time and again if dogs were allowed inside, Lee from Yomiko Café decided it was time to say yes. The push came when Yomiko’s social media manager came across Best Bark, the local directory spotlighting dog-friendly venues across Northern Ireland.

“I’m a dog owner myself,” said Lee. “We were getting so many questions about whether dogs were welcome. When our social media manager found Best Bark and said we should tag them, I took a look and said, ‘Just go for it, it looks great.’

And clearly, it was. In just the first couple of days after the announcement, Yomiko had several wagging visitors drop in, each one greeted with a free puppuccino, now a permanent item on the menu.

“The response has been lovely, especially online,” Lee added. “We’ve already had a few dogs in, and everyone’s loving the puppuccinos.”

Yomiko’s move reflects a wider trend: more and more local cafés, pubs, and venues across Northern Ireland are realising the benefits of welcoming dogs. It’s not just about attracting more customers, it’s about creating spaces where people feel more at home.

That’s exactly what Best Bark is all about. The platform, which highlights and promotes dog-friendly businesses, has been working to encourage more venues to join the movement.

“We’re so happy to see places like Yomiko come on board,” said Courtney from Best Bark. “They’ve got the right vibe and a real desire to make people, and their pets feel welcome.”

To mark the occasion, Best Bark is sending Yomiko Café a branded window sticker so dog owners know they’re welcome the moment they walk by.

“At the end of the day, dogs are a huge part of people’s lives,” Lee said. “As long as they’re trained and under control, why wouldn’t we let them in? It’s been a great decision for us.”

Yomiko is the latest in a growing list of cafés, restaurants, and hotels across NI making the switch, something Best Bark hopes to see more of in the months ahead.

Dog owners and business owners alike can find more information and listings at bestbark.co.