Astoria Dog Bakery: Château le Woof, Open 7 AM Daily

Château le Woof opens at 7 am every day at 3101 Vernon Boulevard in Astoria, Queens, and its BARKery shelf sells dog birthday cakes from $15.00. A frozen Bubba Rose dog cake is $32.99, a yogurt sprinkle doggie cake is $15.00 and a mini donut hole treat is $1.99. The café and dog space stay open until 8 pm, so you can pick up a cake after work, order a latte for yourself and let your dog run in a heated, air-conditioned play room. It is both a dog bakery counter and a café, which is why local dog owners treat it as a destination rather than a quick errand.

The shop's founder, Natassa, tells the origin story on the About page. In 2015 she dreamed she was drinking a cortado with her dog inside a café, woke up, and said aloud that a dog café was the answer. Her dog, King, had been walking a mile every day with her to the nearest coffee shop, where he had to wait outside. The first name that came to her was Château Le Woof, and the business describes itself as female-founded in Queens in 2015.

What started as a smaller shop has grown into a full food and beverage space with about 3,000 square feet of dog play area, shopping and café. Its own words call the vibe Cheers for dogs, a place where everyone knows your name and your dog's name too. That community feel is not decoration; the About page says customers become friends and spend holidays together, and the events page lists private parties from weddings to dog birthdays.

The BARKery collection is the part of the shop that answers a dog bakery search. Birthday cakes include the Green Birthday Baby Cake from Bubba Rose at $19.99, a Yogurt Sprinkle Doggie Cake at $15.00, and frozen full-size cakes at $32.99 for the Blue, Purple and Happy Birthday styles and $33.99 for the Princess, Prince, Garden and Skull designs. Because the larger cakes are frozen, plan to buy them a day ahead and thaw them at home.

For smaller treats, the shelf is full of single cookies. Bubba Rose Biscuit Company cookies run from $3.50 for the Llama to $4.00 for the NYC Big Apple and Butterfly designs, and the Bosco and Roxy's cookies start at $1.99. Mini PUPems donut holes are $1.99, a macaroon dog treat is $3.99, Blueberry Buckle Bites are $3.99 and Bocce's Bakery birthday soft-baked treats are $9.00 a bag. Bosco and Roxy's Kringle Krunch is $11.00.

For something a little different, the Lucky Biscuit breakfast and lunch menu cookies are $3.99 each, and the pirate collection is between $4.99 and $5.99. The shop also stocks freeze-dried treats, bones, chews and a long list of toys, but the baked shelf is the reason to walk in.

The human side of the counter has a proper café menu. Drip coffee is $3.00, an espresso is $3.50, a macchiato or cortado is $4.00, a cappuccino starts at $4.50, and a latte or cold brew is $5.00. A dirty chai latte is $6.25, matcha starts at $6.50, and hot tea starts at $3.50. The place is also known for its dog bar, where craft beer and wine join specialty coffee, tea and soft drinks.

On Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm, the café serves brunch from a chef-made human menu while dogs order from a menu of their own, dining side by side indoors. Reservations are available through the website. If you only want to buy a cake, you can skip the brunch crowd by arriving on a weekday morning; the shop opens at 7 am.

The play area is the part first-time visitors ask about. The FAQ says it is 700 square feet, indoors, heated in winter and air conditioned in summer, and that dogs are allowed on the dog play side of the building. The café is BYOD, meaning bring your own dog, though you are welcome if you do not have one. Customers are responsible for watching their own dogs and picking up after them, and the staff do not offer daycare or boarding.

Your dog must be up to date on vaccinations, and the play area release form has to be signed before the visit, so fill it out on the website at home instead of at the door. The shop partners with Pupstoria for walking, sitting and boarding if you need those services. A groomer works by appointment only from Wednesday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm, and the staff will clip nails or do a sanitary trim on a walk-in basis.

The café and dog space are open 7 am to 8 pm daily according to the official FAQ, and the separate event space can be booked for private parties. Book a table if you want weekend brunch. If a frozen cake is not what you want, the soft-baked birthday treats from Bocce's Bakery at $9.00 are the easier option to carry on a train.

Skip the grooming plan if you arrive without an appointment and want more than a nail clip, because the groomer works on booked slots. For questions about stock, call (718) 626-9663.

The natural plan is a walk after the coffee. Socrates Sculpture Park is nearby and is a pleasant place to take your dog for a stroll once the cookies are bought.

Because the café and the BARKery share one building, a good rhythm is to let your dog play first, buy the cake on your way out and leave through the shop so the frosting stays chilled. On a warm day, bring a small cooler for a frozen cake.

Address: 3101 Vernon Boulevard, Queens, NY 11106. Phone: (718) 626-9663. Email: info@chateaulewoof.com. The official site is chateaulewoof.com.

Hours: café and dog space 7 am to 8 pm daily; weekend brunch 10 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday; groomer by appointment Wednesday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm. Ask Karpo APP for more dog-friendly cafés and bakeries across Queens and Brooklyn when you plan your next outing.