CuppaPug launched in London in 2022 and attracts customers from all over the globe. It is now open on Chapel Street, Manchester.
This vibrant pink café is a pug playground where visitors can spend time with CuppaPugs’ resident pugs while enjoying pug-themed smoothies, milkshakes, coffees, teas, and cakes.
For those who love pugs but don’t have one, this unique hospitality concept offers a chance to experience the joy of being around these adorable pooches.
Customers can enjoy the pink interiors, Instagram-worthy pug wall, and ball pit while falling in love with the resident pugs.
Aaron Carty and Matt Pieterse, owners of the original CuppaPug on London’s Arbutus Street, have decided to launch a new site at 220 Chapel Street in Manchester. After seeing their business skyrocket over the past two years, they now plan to offer double the cuteness with this new location.
The idea for CuppaPug arose from the desire to create a safe and nurturing community around pugs. This includes working with charities and organisations that rescue and rehome them while educating owners.
In addition to the pug-themed decor, cosy corners, and delightful food and drinks, CuppaPug merchandise is available, including cute accessories, mugs, T-shirts, and tote bags.
CuppaPug was founded by partners Aaron Carty and Matt Pieterse. Aaron is an ex-police officer, turned Digital Media Producer, Entrepreneur, and successful International Drag Queen performer for the ‘Beyonce Experience’, as seen on Britain’s Got Talent and UK Black Pride. Matthew is a professional actor known for Channel 4’s Bleach, Subway Casanova advert, and the short film Mild Thing.
Also in the CuppaPug family are Gaston, Bruce, Bowser, Beau, Gizmo, Bebe, and Baloo—Aaron and Matt’s pugs—who’ve been staying with them at The Kimpton Clocktower as they prep the site for opening.
Speaking about where the idea of CuppaPug came from, Aaron said:
“Our inspiration was to create an environment, a pug playground where the pugs can play and people can safely engage with the pugs. We want our customers to have an instant smile on their faces as they enter CuppaPug, we want them to feel the warmth and joy that pugs can bring and feel that spike in pleasure from hugging a pug.
We are so excited to be opening in Manchester, it’s a fantastic city. We are so humbled by the families from the North travelling to London for a day trip just to spend an hour with our pugs. We thought we owed it to those pug lovers to open a second site up here.”
With pug welfare at the centre of the concept, CuppaPug works closely with three charity partners National Pug Protection Trust, Manchester Pug Thing, and Pug Life Rescue. £1 from each booking is donated to the rescue and rehoming of pugs.
Matt said:
“CuppaPug’s vision is to firstly amplify the education of owning a dog, the responsibility and commitment it takes, continuing to share our pugs with people to bring them joy, help with mind wellness and mental health and rescue pugs. Manchester has an amazing pug community as well as its own non-profit organisation ‘Manchester Pug Thing’ that we wanted to help, not only with regular donations but to amplify the organisation and the work they do.”
Manchester will no doubt fall in love with their resident pugs. Aaron and Matthew have held an intensive six-week process of applications, interviewing pugs and rehearsing pug groups, whittling down over 60 applications to just 10 superstar pugs. “It takes a pug that is sociable, active, energetic, lovable and with a unique personality to be a resident pug’ says Aaron.
For those interested in checking out CuppaPug, get in quick as London is known to be booked up for up to six weeks in advance.
One-hour booking slots are made online here and are priced at £15 per person. (Maximum 20 people per session; children under 5 are free, one per paying adult)
With this powerful, purposeful, pink pug brand, it’s no surprise that CuppaPug has seen over 10 million views across social media, with customers amazingly having flown from Hawaii, Greece, Barcelona, New York, and Australia solely to visit CuppaPug London.
CuppaPug is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays: 11am-7pm Sundays: 11am – 6pm.
Follow CuppaPug on Insatgram or TikTok, @CuppaPug.
