Bend’s food truck for dogs reopens Saturday at WoofFest

Since launching The Hungry Hound last year, Bryan Du Toit said the public response has been overwhelming.

The serial entrepreneur has struck a chord with the Bend community through their dogs’ stomachs after attempting a range of different business concepts, from hand sanitizer to founding the fashion-forward Bend Creator’s Celebration.

After closing for the winter months, the food cart for dogs launches for a new season at the second annual WoofFest, scheduled for Saturday at On Tap with live music, vendors and a raffle benefiting Street Dog Hero.

The Hungry Hound caters exclusively to canines, serving a menu that accounts for dietary needs through gourmet options such as the Quarter Hounder with Cheese, a beef pattie on a gluten-free bun with a side of sweet potato fries and rice with beef gravy, the Hot Diggity Dog hot dog and Puppy Power Shake, a blend of unsalted peanut butter, bananas and a dash of honey.

“I’ve had a lot of different businesses and worked in a lot of different fields in my life. And honestly, working in that food cart was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had,” Du Toit said.

The food cart has allowed dog owners to treat their pooches to celebratory birthday meals, special occasions or a spur-of-the-moment indulgence.

One woman walked up to the cart, took the meal, looked Du Toit in the eyes and said with absolute sincerity, “This is the most amazing day of not only my dog’s life, but of my life,” according to Du Toit.

Customer inquiries lead to new developments

During his first year of cooking professionally for canines, Du Toit’s siren-red food truck was stationed at On Tap. Over the past year, he received requests from tap-houses across Central Oregon to cater to their customers and individuals wanting to treat their pooches, but unwilling to commit to driving from municipalities outside of Bend.

This season, The Hungry Hound will have a rotating schedule, bouncing around tap houses and breweries in Bend and other cities, such as Tumalo, Sunriver and Sisters, from weekend to weekend.

Customers of the food cart also wondered if they could bring the healthy, human-grade dog food home with them, which spawned Du Toit’s next business concept: raw dog food.

Du Toit will unveil The Hungry Hound’s new flash-frozen raw food subscription service at WoofFest. It comes in three flavors — beef, chicken and salmon — and is made in Bend. Additional ingredients include carrots, broccoli, garbanzo beans, wild rice and added nutrients such as taurine and calcium, which meet the standards for commercial pet food set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and National Research Council.

Free samples of the raw dog food will be offered at Saturday’s festival, where there’ll be upward of 10 vendors and organizations, including nonprofit Street Dog Hero and The Humane Society, and pups up for adoption.

Expansion on the horizon

Du Toit has also been fielding requests from parties interested in franchising The Hungry Hound from Eugene, Nevada and Texas, he said. While franchised locations may become a reality, for now, he’s focused on rolling out the raw food service and serving gourmet cuisine to the canines of Central Oregon.

“Most of my efforts are making sure Bend has everything Bend needs,” he said. “Because this is my hometown.”

The Hungry Hound was inspired by Du Toit’s Great Pyrenees, Romeo, who was adopted from Street Dog Hero. A puppy at the time, Romeo wolfed down a hamburger in a split second, planting the seeds for what would become Bend’s only food truck for dogs.

Following WoofFest, The Hungry Hound will post its schedule on Instagram @hungryhoundbend and will offer email and text notifications, soon to be available for sign up on its website.

If You Go

What: WoofFest

When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

Where: On Tap, 1424 NE Cushing Drive, Bend

Cost: Free

Contact: @hungryhoundbend on Instagram or Hungry Hound Bend on Facebook

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