There’s a new café opening in Palmyra on August 26, but there’s a catch: it’s for your “best friend.”

“We’re opening a doggie café,” say Terri Raju-Arroyo, owner of Rusty’s Dog Wash and Grooming, which she describes as a “hole in the wall” in Fluvanna County. “We’ll be serving doggie hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, cake, pies, and other items that look like real people food but are made for dogs.”

August 26 just happens to be National Dog Day, and for starters, Raju-Arroyo says the café will be open every Saturday from 9am-noon (the grand opening will be from 10am-5pm), but they will also be offering birthday party rental for any dates. They also plan to donate a percentage of their profits to the Fluvanna County SPCA, Caring For Creatures, Meal on Wheels, and other charities.

“We’ve always helped the FSPCA by donating discount coupons, offering gift certificates, and giving them items to give away,” says Raju-Arroyo.

But why a doggie café?

“I have two grown children, I was having a empty nest syndrome,” says Raju-Arroyo. “I was hanging out with my nieces, and we were playing restaurant and they were the waitresses. Well, we have a dog, and they felt bad that he was not part of it, so they set up a restaurant for him. Voila, the idea was born.”