Maria Isina A.
Yelp
I am a regular customer of this Whole Food in South Beach. We love going there, do some shopping and grab something to eat from the counter or the bar. However, last night we decided to go and grab some dinner and sit outside.
We knew that you are not allowed to go inside the grocery store with your pet, but we brought our 6-month-old, 9 pounds mini dachshund and sat outside, and we took turns with my husband to get some food. While we were dining, people passed by, and my pup, who was under the table the whole time, would bark. After 10 minutes we were there, a policeman, who happened to be there (I've never seen a policeman before until last night checking out people while eating), came to our table and asked us to leave. He said they were afraid that my dog was going to bite someone.
We were startled. We did not interact with anyone; we were not in the way of other people, and I think we were not disrespecting anyone. A guy who saw everything and was seated at the table across from us said, "that's bullshit." When the policeman saw our faces, and we asked if we had to leave, in case we misunderstood it, he said, "yes, believe me, it comes from the top." We did not want to create a scene, we were just eating something, so we grabbed our food and our staff and left.
I totally understand that places don't have to be pet-friendly shops, especially grocery stores. I do suggest, though, that they include a sign clarifying that customers cannot sit with their dogs in the outside sitting area. It can save customers from an embarrassing moment.