Looking for a fun, affordable way to bring more pet parents into your store? A Doggy Sundae Bar is one of the easiest in-store events to create excitement, boost foot traffic, and build awareness for your business.
This event is simple, low-cost, and highly shareable on social media. Best of all, dogs love it — and when dogs are happy, pet parents are happy too.
What Is a Doggy Sundae Bar?
A Doggy Sundae Bar is a dog-friendly treat station where customers can build a custom frozen or chilled yogurt cup for their pup.
Start with an unsweetened Greek yogurt base, add dog-safe flavor options, and let customers choose from a fun topping bar filled with your best-selling treats.
It feels special, interactive, and photo-worthy, but it does not require a huge budget or complicated setup.
Why This Event Works for Pet Stores
A Doggy Sundae event is a great way to:
- Increase in-store foot traffic
- Introduce customers to best-selling products
- Encourage social media sharing
- Create a fun reason for customers to visit
- Build loyalty with local dog owners
- Partner with shelters or rescues
- Showcase your store as a dog-friendly destination
For many stores, this type of event can be done for around $50–$100 total, including ingredients, paper cups, and lids.
Supplies You’ll Need
To host your own Doggy Sundae Bar, you’ll need:
- Unsweetened Greek yogurt
- A blender
- Paper cups and lids
- Serving spoons
- Small topping bowls
- Napkins
- A table or counter setup
- Signage for flavors and toppings
Create Two Yogurt Bases
We recommend offering two base options:
1. Plain Yogurt Base
This is a great simple option for dogs with sensitive stomachs or picky eaters.
2. Seasonal Flavored Base
Rotate your second flavor seasonally to keep the event fresh and exciting.
Flavor ideas include:
- Banana
- Berry
- Peanut butter
- Pumpkin
Use dog-safe ingredients and keep the base simple. Blend the yogurt with your chosen flavor until smooth, then keep it chilled until serving. Use a mixture of 75% yogurt and 25% chosen flavor to blend together.
Build a Topping Bar
The topping bar is where the event becomes extra fun. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your best-selling products and sneak any doggy visitors an opportunity to taste test as well.
Great topping ideas include:
- Freeze-dried meats
- New Featured treats you want customers to try
- Bacon bits
- Fresh berries
- A drizzle of maple syrup
- Crumbled dog biscuits
- Seasonal treat pieces
Use toppings that are visually appealing, easy to serve, and safe for dogs.
Free Event or Paid Fundraiser?
You can offer Doggy Sundaes for free as a customer appreciation event, or charge a small fee per cup.
One of the most successful options is to charge $3 per cup and donate the proceeds to a local animal shelter or rescue.
This creates a win-win:
- Customers feel good supporting a cause
- The shelter helps promote the event
- Your store gains visibility
- New customers are more likely to attend
- The event feels more meaningful
Partnering with a local shelter can dramatically increase awareness and bring in new faces who may not have visited your store before.
How to Promote Your Doggy Sundae Event
For the best results, start promoting the event at least four weeks in advance.
Promotion ideas include:
- Create a Facebook event
- Post weekly reminders on Instagram and Facebook
- Share behind-the-scenes photos of the toppings
- Promote the seasonal flavor
- Add signage near your checkout counter
- Include flyers in customer bags
- Ask your shelter partner to share the event
- Encourage customers to tag your store in photos
- Post videos of dogs enjoying their sundaes
You do not need to pay for ads to make this work. Organic promotion through your store, social media, and community partners can be very effective.
Make It Photo-Worthy
The more fun the setup looks, the more likely customers are to take photos and share.
Add simple visual touches like:
- A colorful tablecloth
- A chalkboard menu
- Cute flavor signs
- Branded cups or stickers
- A photo backdrop
- A “Pup Sundae of the Month” sign
Encourage customers to post and tag your store. This helps extend the reach of your event beyond the people who attend.
How Often Should You Host It?
Doggy Sundae events are easy enough to do regularly. Consider hosting them:
- Monthly
- Seasonally
- During adoption events
- On summer weekends
- Around holidays
- During customer appreciation days
- As part of a new product launch
Changing the yogurt flavor and toppings each time keeps the event feeling new.
Event Theme Ideas
Here are a few fun seasonal themes:
- Summer Berry Sundae Bar
- Peanut Butter Pup Cup Day
- Pumpkin Spice Doggy Sundaes
- Holiday Treat Bar
- Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Sundaes
- Bark-B-Q Sundae Social
- Shelter Support Sundae Day
A Doggy Sundae Bar is a simple, affordable, and effective way to create excitement in your store. With a small investment in materials, you can drive foot traffic, showcase your best-selling products, support local shelters, and give customers a memorable reason to visit.
Whether you offer it for free or turn it into a shelter fundraiser, this is a fun event that dog-friendly stores can host often.
Your customers will love it, their dogs will love it, and your business will benefit from the extra visibility and community engagement.