Paws Off The Table Mobile Cart
Ever since Natasha Woodruff, the owner of Paws Off The Table, started her dog treat business in 2018, she’s dreamed of expanding her business into a dog food truck. That dream came true on August 7th, 2021, as Woodruff launched her mobile dog treat and ice cream cart.
Sharing what inspired the idea, Woodruff said that her dog Prince gave her the idea one day while vending at a food festival.
“I had Prince with me in one hand and stuffing my face with food in the other hand. I felt guilty that he didn’t have anything to enjoy while at the festival,” she explained. That’s when she thought, “why not have a food truck for dogs?”
Getting the Ball Rolling
While she launched this year, Woodruff said that she originally purchased a food truck last year pre-COVID. Unfortunately, she experienced several mechanical issues with the truck, and then all the repairs were put on hold as places shut down due to the pandemic.
“Additional funds to park the truck became an expense I could not bear. As a small business owner, these types of expenses aren’t put into the budget,” she said. “I started to question if I could do it and if it was worth it. I asked myself, “Why?”
Despite these challenges, Woodruff overcame them and found a way to keep working towards her dream.
“The pandemic allowed me to pivot from what my original vision was to where I am today. I downsized from a food truck to a food trailer. Which was actually the best move for me at the time,” she said. “When you have an idea and the passion behind it, anything is possible.”
Taking a “Paws” to Plan Things Out
While she had the trailer customized, she used that time to drive visibility for her business.
“All the events had been canceled due to the shutdown, leaving me no choice but to go back to my roots of bootstrapping. I had to get in front of my customers; what better way to [do that] than at the dog parks?” she said. “The pandemic forced people to spend more time outside walking their dogs and interact at dog parks. I was able to provide them with teats at their convenience and drive visibility of my brand.”
Woodruff then worked out the best schedule for which parks to visit and at what times and put the correct licenses in place.
Before her launch, she spent a lot of time conducting tests, research, and studies to set her expansion up for success. All that hard work paid off with her launching a month earlier than expected.
“I’ve been truly blessed everything fell into place at the right time,” she said. “I’m a strong believer that we don’t grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges. And believe me, there were challenges both personal and business, but I take those challenges as lessons to learn and grow.”
Paws Off The Table: Parked for the Pups
While Paws Off The Table’s schedule changes each week, you can find the mobile cart at parks like Kellogg Zaher Dog Park, Woofter Dog Park, and Desert Breeze Dog Park.
“You can also find us at Bruce Trent Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 2 to 8 PM and the Fresh 52 Farmers Market on Sundays from 8:00 AM to 12;00 PM,” Woodruff said. Woodruff is also a regular at Market in the Alley as well as the First Friday Festival. She will be vending out of her mobile cart at the upcoming event this Friday, October 1st.
Wherever the mobile cart pops up, stop by to get your dog Paws Off The Table’s homemade gourmet treats, training treats, and ice cream!
The cart currently offers two flavors for your dogs to enjoy: peanut butter – a “favorite amongst the dogs” – and banana for the pups who may have a peanut allergy.
“We are launching our Pumpkin Ice Cream this week as our pups deserve to celebrate the Pumpkin Season as well,” Woodruff said. “The ice cream is non-dairy as we continue to strive for healthier options while catering to dogs with sensitive digestive systems.”
Follow Paws Off The Table on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to find out where to locate the cart each week. Woodruff said she posts daily “so you will never miss out on some delicious treats for your fur babies.”
(Article continues below ad)
Sponsored Ad
On the Road to Bigger Things
Woodruff shared that opening the mobile cart has opened Paws Off The Table to limitless possibilities. For example, since launching the cart, she now takes reservations for private events.
“We’re now leveraging the cart for catering events such as birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, and holiday events. We have different packages that customers can customize to fit any event,” she said. “Paws Off The Table is here to build “Pawtastic” memories no matter the occasion.”
In addition to the opportunities now available to Paws Off The Table, Woodruff also shared her enjoyment of being able to visit the dog parks and interact more closely with her four-legged customers.
“I’ve built a mobile shop all for them,” she said. “It’s so adorable to see them stand up at the window and place their orders.”
Loving every aspect of her new setup, Woodruff added that to see her dream come to life, she couldn’t ask for anything else.
“I want to thank my God, my mother, brother, and godfather for always being there. My strength, confidence, and intelligence come from them always having a winning spirit,” she said. “I want to thank all my customers who took a chance and shopped with and all my supporters who’ve shared my business via word of mouth or social media and me.”
She also thanked the Las Vegas community at large, including the First Friday Foundation, the Fergusons and Market in the Alley team, the LV Farmers Market, Fresh 52, and all of her vendor friends.
“Thank you…for all of [your] support through my journey in making Paws Off The Table a household brand.”
Visit the Paws Off The Table website to check out all of the delicious dog treats and other sweets available for your pup and place an order online!
