‘Oh my god, there’s hundreds’: Watch dogs line up at pizzeria’s treat-to-go window
A pizza shop in Chicago is gaining attention, not just from people.
Numerous dogs are forming a line in their festive outfits outside Bartoli’s Pizzeria in West Town. They’re eagerly waiting for delectable treats while their owners indulge in slices from this beloved city eatery.
“Oh my god, there’s hundreds that they walk by every day,” shared Brian Tondryk, the owner of Bartoli’s Pizzeria, in a phone interview with YSL News. “It’s nonstop throughout the day. They really enjoy coming for the treats.”
“When dog owners are out for a walk, they always make a stop at the pizzeria because their dogs get a special treat. We go through a lot of treat boxes,” he mentioned.
A Popular Spot for Dogs for Four Years
The window, which was created to assist customers during the COVID outbreak, has transformed into a lively hub for treat-hungry dogs, according to Tondryk.
“We’ve had this dog window for four years now,” Tondryk recounted. “We opened this location just a week before COVID led to a shutdown in Chicago. During that time, we added the walk-up window for customers who preferred not to enter the restaurant. It eventually evolved into a dog window.”
Tondryk explained that the window originally just featured a bowl of water and some dog treats. His manager, Stacy Rozack, who is “a huge dog person,” significantly contributed to transforming it into the “doggie treat window.”
The treats mainly consist of milk bones, although some dog owners occasionally treat their pets to pizza slices as well, Tondryk noted. While the latest videos on the pizzeria’s dog window TikTok account showcase dogs dressed in festive attire, Tondryk assured that the window remains popular throughout the year.
Bartoli’s has been part of the Chicago food scene since 2013 with their Roscoe Village branch, while this new location launched right before the pandemic struck. The establishment is known for its classic deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago-style pizzas, both popular among customers, according to Tondryk.