Happy Place

Happy Place sits at 62 The Strand in North Ward, looking across the water to Magnetic Island, and pets are explicitly welcome out front. It is a casual, contemporary cafe with a healthy-leaning menu, and because the front tables sit right on the Strand walking path, it is the easiest kind of stop to fold into a morning walk.

The dog setup

Dogs settle into the shaded, undercover seating facing The Strand, with the sea breeze doing its share of the cooling. Access is flat and simple straight off the promenade, staff are friendly to dogs, and water bowls are usually available, though in Townsville heat you are smart to carry your own. Inside is best left to people.

Worth knowing

The kitchen leans fresh: juices, smoothies, acai bowls, zucchini fritters, poached eggs and a bacon and egg roll worth the early start, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options well covered. Doors open at 6am seven days, and the kitchen winds down in the early afternoon, so this is a breakfast and lunch venue rather than dinner.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking lines The Strand but fills up on weekends; Gregory Street and Mitchell Street a short walk back are the reliable fallbacks. Once you are parked, the flat promenade makes arrival with a dog or a pram easy.

Close by with the dogs

The whole Strand foreshore is on-lead, so the long paved walk is right at the tables, and when a proper run is needed Pallarenda Dog Beach is about ten minutes north for off-leash sand. Odyssey on the Strand and Vitti Cafe on Gregory keep the North Ward coffee options open.

The Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the North Ward destination page have more options.

Pepsi: order the acai bowl, claim the shaded row, and let the Strand foot traffic give your dog a free show while you eat.