The History of White Dog Enterprises
The cafe began in January, 1983 as a take-out coffee and muffin shop on the first floor of Judy Wicks' house at 3420 Sansom St. where the front half of the bar is today. The menu soon expanded to soup and sandwiches which were made in Judy's upstairs kitchen, and seating expanded to the back of the house where the first dining room is and into the second house, 3422 Sansom. Soon there was a charcoal grill out back where hot food was turned out and seats were added in the backyard where the porch was later built. Dishes were washed by hand in a sink in the corner of the large dining room.
As winter approached, the outdoor grill was enclosed in plastic with a chimney and the chef wore a parka and boots. Waiters went through the basement to pick up the food. The next January, cold weather forced the closing of the outdoor kitchen. However, luck was with us and a loan from a friend provided the capital to install the indoor bar & grill kitchen and bar counter which opened in the spring of 1984, but the basement floor was still earth and the public restroom was still upstairs in Judy's house.
In 1985, we got a liquor license and made room for the bourbon bottle next to the corn flakes as our muffin counter became a bar. A bank loan followed and work began on the main kitchen in the basement, the rest rooms and the central hall connecting the two separate rowhouses. Construction of additional dining rooms and kitchen areas followed from 1986 to 1997. In April, 1989, The Black Cat Store opened.
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