Los Angeles Dogs Receive Red Carpet Treatment at Hollywood’s New Zoom Room®

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Jessica Dees

Los Angeles Dogs Receive Red Carpet Treatment at Hollywood’s New Zoom Room®

It’s the most ‘barked’ about event of the year – on September 12, 2010, the Zoom Room® will celebrate the social aspect of dog ownership throughout Los Angeles with the opening of its flagship Hollywood location.

The new indoor agility training center and canine social club, located at 726 North La Brea in Hollywood, will host an entire day of engaging activities for dogs and their owners, including a dog trick contest, complimentary Pink's Hot Dogs, an adoption drive, a Doggy Disco™ celebration, and a fundraiser for Morris Animal Foundation, which Betty White has supported for more than 40 years.

The festivities will begin with free dog agility classes throughout the morning and an advanced agility class at noon. Then starting promptly at 1 p.m., local pups and their owners will strut their stuff in the Hollywood Dog Trick Contest, where a panel of expert judges will determine which local pooch is on his or her way to doggie stardom. There is no cost to enter but guests are required to sign up in advance to participate in the contest for a chance to win incredible prizes:

• First Place: An unlimited six month pass to Open Gym – the winning dog will have the best playground in all of Los Angeles, complete with a full agility course for excellent exercise.
• Second Place: A Doggy Disco™ party for the runner-up, and up to 20 friends and their dogs, complete with refreshments, treats, music and a laser light show on the floor for the dogs to chase.
• Third Place: A $50 gift certificate to the Zoom Room® – to enjoy raw and organic dog food, eco-friendly toys and puzzles, and all-natural treats.

\"We couldn’t think of a better way to introduce the Zoom Room® to Hollywood than through a day filled with activities that are engaging and entertaining for both dogs and their owners,\" said Mark Van Wye, the Zoom Room’s® Chief Operating Officer. \"It’s the perfect environment to help dog owners deepen the bonds of communication with their pets, which is at the core of our business.\"

The celebration will continue from 6-10 p.m. where guests will enjoy free drinks, treats, gift bags of goodies for dogs and owners to share, a Doggy Disco™, and a chance to mix and mingle among other great dog owners in L.A. Award-winning baristas will be on hand to serve freshly brewed \"Zoom Room Agility,\" a new line of direct trade coffee made exclusively for the Zoom Room® by Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea. The Zoom Room’s neighbor across the street, Pink’s, will serve its famous hot dogs free of charge (no waiting in line), minus the onions – as they’re toxic to dogs.

Bark Avenue Foundation, a Los Angeles-based non-profit animal welfare organization committed to saving animals’ lives and reducing pet overpopulation will also hold an adoption event from 5-7 p.m. with dozens of adoptable dogs and cats. The organization was founded in 2004 and has placed thousands of animals in loving homes throughout Los Angeles.

Having worn out his previous two, Intelligentsia’s Geoff Watts is now on his third passport. El Salvador, Colombia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Papua New Guinea... these trips are a critical part of the Direct Trade model. To make it work, you absolutely have to be at origin, working with producers, and seeing their farms with your own eyes. Ask your coffee buyer how many stamps she’s got. Better still, ask her what number passport she’s on. Not too many folks in Specialty Coffee have one that looks like Geoff’s

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is Intelligentsia Direct Trade different than Certified Fair Trade?

A: Certified Fair Trade is a certification that is owned by FLO International and licensed in the US by Transfair USA. It has been around for decades in Europe and is applied not only to coffee but also cocoa, sugar, bananas, and other commonly traded agricultural products. It is a one-size-fits-all certification designed to ensure that every product bearing its label is purchased at a base price that is above the cost of production for the farmer. Different products have different base prices. For example, the Fair Trade export price for coffee delivered to the exporting cooperative is $1.25 per pound unroasted and $1.45 for unroasted organic certified coffee. It is also a certification specific to democratically run cooperatives, and does not apply to private farms or private exporters.

Q: How do we guarantee that our Intelligentsia Direct Trade coffees meet the criteria we’ve set out for them?

A: We use our eyes, our ears, and our mouths. To see something for oneself is the most powerful validation. Geoff Watts, our coffee buyer, personally visits each grower, cooperative, or estate farm every year and spends time on the farm. He documents his trips with photos, talks to the pickers in the fields to make sure that they are receiving what they are promised and examines all the facilities on the farm. Once he is standing on a farm, it is easy to see whether there is shade, whether the pickers are being treated well, and whether the farm is respecting its environment. Again, it’s a matter of forming a true relationship with our producing partners. If something is not right, we fix it, the same way friends do. If we feel that any of the producers of our Intelligentsia Direct Trade coffees are not actively improving both quality and sustainability on their farms, we stop working with them. We maintain an ethical responsibility to ensure that things are working well for everyone involved at the farms, and this means not turning a blind eye to something that doesn’t seem right. If there is a question to be asked, we will ask it.

Q: How does the consumer know that we do what we say?

A: The proof is in the cup. Quality is not an accidental thing, and it does not happen without very careful attention to detail at every step of the way: from fertilization and pruning, to picking only ripe cherries, to fermentation, drying, and sorting. All of this takes a lot of work, and it does not happen without a tangible incentive or reward. Farmers that don’t get paid well for their work don’t do these things, and those who don’t respect their land and the people who work on the farm face a constant uphill battle to produce quality. Rarely do they produce "Grand Cru" caliber coffees. There may be the occasional exception, but in 10 years of working intensively with coffee this premise has been proven true over and over and over again.

The Zoom Room® will donate $10 to Morris Animal Foundation for every person who RSVP’s in advance. Morris Animal Foundation, of which Betty White is a trustee and President Emeritus, helps animals enjoy longer, healthier lives by advancing health and welfare research that protects, treats and cures companion animals, horses and wildlife worldwide. Guests are encouraged to make additional donations to support this worthy cause. \"Morris Animal Foundation is delighted to be a part of this Zoom Room® event,\" says Paul Raybould, Executive Vice President of Morris Animal Foundation. \"We are committed to creating a healthier tomorrow for dogs and appreciate Zoom Room’s® support.\"

The new Zoom Room® Hollywood is currently enrolling dog owners and their dogs in an extensive list of courses that include everything from agility, obedience and therapy dog training, to puppy preschool, Pup-lates™ and other activities. The location will also serve as the flagship store for the training of new owners that join the franchise system. Zoom Room® is the only brick-and-mortar dog training franchise in America and the first dog agility franchise in the world, focusing on the bond between the owner and their dog by offering an array of classes and activities for dog owners.