LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we’re highlighting Black business owners making a difference in the Las Vegas valley. 13 Action News anchor Kelsey McFarland takes us inside Le Pup Café.
Eric Adams is prepping gourmet food for your furry family members.
DOG & WHISTLE
“He sometimes doesn't eat his kibble, but every time he gets the food here, he just pounds it and it's all gone,” says dog owner, Micah Burleson.
“I feel really good about supporting the business and feeding Bear here,” says dog owner, Sara Burleson.
Adams is the founder of Dog and Whistle, and owns Le Pup Café in Fergusons Downtown.
“I went to school for culinary and always had the passion for one to create my own restaurant," says Adams.
He makes human-grade dog food from unused, natural whole foods. He calls it upcycling.
“So this was instilled in me and now I have the opportunity to where we can I can teach, you know, others about upcycling as a member of the Upcycled Food Association as well, but bring awareness on what we can do as a community to reduce the carbon footprint, or as I would like to say, reduce the carbon paw print," says Adams.
Recipes are made with the help of veterinarians to pack each meal with nutrients. Dog influencers like 12-year-old, Benji, can’t get enough.
“We care a lot about the food that we give him. So it has to be human grade Whole Foods. Like if I wouldn't eat it, I wouldn't give it to him,” says Benji's owner, Quynh Nguyen.
DEEPER MEANING
The concept of upcycling has a deeper meaning for Adams.
“Our ancestors have been upcycling since the very beginning, Right. As you know, unfortunately, as slaves, we had to go in, repurpose certain items, certain proteins, and we had to make a meal out of it," says Adams.
It’s part of the reason he’s proud to be a part of the downtown landscape as a minority business owner.
“It just brings so much opportunity to build relationships for with not only people that look like us, but of other nationalities, of other ethnic backgrounds..." says Adams.
He goes on to say, "But we all have one thing in common. We love our pets, right? We want to make sure that they're getting the best quality meals. And we're also saving the world one dog treat and or one dog meal at a time."
