Trasca & Co. Eatery is hosting its first ever yappy hour event at its Ponte Vedra Beach location Aug. 1 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Unlike other dog-related events Trasca has held, this one is deeply connected to its growing partnership with K9s For Warriors, which is a local nonprofit that has a mission of uniting service dogs with veterans.
“It’s a way for us to celebrate with the community, and what better way to do that than with dogs,” Trasca & Co. Inc. owner Sara Frasca said. “We believe this is something that can become an annual event held in August as a nice family celebration before school starts back.”
The event is just the latest in a long line of ways Trasca has thought about what in best for dogs and their owners, and the event would not be possible without Frasca helping lead an effort years ago to get St. Johns County officials to reconsider the rules pertaining to dogs and restaurants.
“It all started when we first opened our restaurant and had a health inspection, which is normal and natural, but we had one major violation, and it came after we did all of the acrobatics required to have a perfect kitchen and perfect operation,” Frasca said. “The violation was because someone had their dog on our patio, and it was against the St. Johns County ordinance.”
The incident led Frasca to do some research and she found that St. Johns County had never passed an ordinance that required dogs on an eating establishment’s outdoor patio like other areas around.
“St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach had, but St. Johns County had not,” Frasca said. “So, I started a petition from all the owners around of establishments that served food, and then took that petition to the county commission.”
Although it was not a quick process, Frasca looks back and is proud that Trasca helped lead the effort for change, because it is something people will be able to benefit from and enjoy for years into the future.
“It took two years, because first I had to file and then get an audience with the commissioner, before coming back to present the case so they could vote on it,” Frasca said. “Fast forward to today, and we are so proud to have people be able to bring their furry companions to our patio.”
Happy hour drink and appetizer prices will be available during the three-hour event with a portion of the proceeds going toward supporting K9s For Warriors and its continued initiatives.
Pawsitively Natural Dog Bakery will be on hand at the event offering handmade dog treats to those in attendance.
