VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Or, in this case, bark.
Over the weekend, Salty Paws opened on Laskin Road at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
"We're Virginia's first ice cream bar and bakery for dogs," said Mike Griffin, who owns Salty Paws with his wife Melody and daughter Vanessa.
Griffin says his family first got the idea to franchise the business when visiting a location in Annapolis, Maryland.
That was six months ago. They held their grand opening over the weekend.
"There were times when I was back at the ice cream bar dishing ice cream, and I just looked at the store and this place was packed with dogs," said Griffin. "We were just busy as could be, and we couldn't be happier."
Griffin tells News 3 the desserts they serve are edible for humans but probably not preferred. The different ingredients and much less sugar make them perfect for dogs.
The location at the Virginia Beach resort area -- perfect for vacationing families who didn't want to leave Fido behind.
"It's more and more a thing for people to go on vacation with their dogs. We've had people in the first few days that have driven hours to get here with their dog," said Griffin.
But for the Griffins, Virginia Beach is home. Salty Paws is as much for the locals as it is the out-of-towners.
"We wanted a destination, somewhere fun where people in our area could come and enjoy," said Mike.
Salty Paws is open seven days a week.
