Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | June 30, 2025 | wbjournal.com Weiss and his business partner Jason Roche have always allowed dogs into New Tradition since they opened in 2018. e duo were inspired to do so based on their own love of dogs, and the decisions helped set the soil for a blooming community. "We have daily regulars, that I think if we stopped allowing that, they certainly would not be coming in every day," he said. e shop even had a regular who would bring his two golden retrievers and his cat Tito to New Tradition, the latter of whom would sit on a bar stool and watch him play darts. "Aer COVID, I don't know if it was a mutual separation anxiety, but people didn't want to spend a second apart," said Weiss. Now, not a day goes by where New Tradition doesn't see at least four or five dogs, and Weiss doesn't see that trend slowing down for his business or for others. "My generation and younger, I feel like a lot of people are choosing to not have children, and there's sort of replacement with dogs and other pets," he said. trending upward. In fact, the rise in pet humanization is driving increased American spending on both grooming and overall well-being services for their pets, an annual total expected to reach $15.8 billion by 2029, according to a report published by Research and Markets, a Dublin-based market analysis provider. For Central Massachusetts business owners, they've only seen that fixation compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, more and more owners are looking to companies to offer both more enriching services for their four-legged friends and expanded More than just a pet BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer D ogs have not always been thought of as the companions they are today. Many historians credit the Victorians in the 19th century for redirecting Western societal views of domesticated dogs from workers to members of the household, according to research reported by the University of Cambridge and TIME. Since then, pet humanization, especially that of dogs, has been steadily accommodations to bring their dogs with them throughout the region. at's not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, quite the opposite. As Worcester County businesses adapt to serve dogs and meet the needs of their adoring owners, they're seeing growing customer satisfaction in what is arguably the most pro-dog era to date. Dogs welcome! Chinese restaurant Nancy Chang in Worcester has almost always allowed for dogs to sit outside with their owners, but the option just wasn't that widely advertised until 2020, said Owner Shawn Tang. "It's a norm that started during the pandemic: the companionship, of especially singles, families without kids, that want that extra attachment, that relationship," said Tang. In fact, 97% of U.S. pet owners report viewing pets as just as much a part of their family as their human members, according to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center. As of 2024, dogs were the most popular pet in the United States with 65.1 million households owning a dog out of the 86.9 million homes that owned any pet, according to 2025 statistics published by Forbes. As more customers came to Nancy Chang to dine outside due to COVID regulations, the restaurant began to see more patrons arriving with their dogs in tow. Responding to the demand, Nancy Chang began offering a dog menu, with chicken and rice for $8, veggies and rice for $6, and a veggie omelet for $10. "How good is it if you can drink and be outside, and keep an eye on your dog and [have] something for the dog to snack on?" said Tang. Dog owners in general just don't want to be without their pets, said Joe Weiss, owner of the Worcester coffee shop and bar New Tradition. "A lot of people just want to be with their pets 24/7, especially aer COVID where people had two years to be with their dogs, and I feel like [they] just didn't want to give that up," said Weiss. PHOTO | COURTESY OF NANCY CHANG RESTAURANT F O C U S THE DOG EDITION As dog attachment rises post-COVID, Central Mass. businesses are adapting to the needs of their four-legged clientele & their owners Nancy Chang started offering a dog menu during the COVID pandemic, which has attracted more dog-loving patrons. The restaurant even provides options like baked salmon for pups with sensitive stomachs and allergies. Nancy Chang offers dog bandanas reading "Chang Gang". For Joe Weiss, a vegan and dog-lover, allowing dogs into New Tradition from the get-go was a no-brainer. PHOTOS | COURTESY OF NEW TRADITION

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