A dog-friendly food business in Darlington town centre opened its doors to the public for the first time today.

House of Flavour on Duke Street in Darlington opened its doors for the first time, welcoming the public to try all the delicious treats on offer.

The bistro/takeaway opened at 8am today (Monday, May 22) and The Northern Echo headed down to see what the atmosphere was like.

It was busy when we got there around 12:30pm, but we were told that that was the quietest it had been all day.

The Northern Echo: Katie Miller, David Chadwick, and Dave the dog, from House of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestKatie Miller, David Chadwick, and Dave the dog, from House of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)

Read more: Sign goes up as new bistro, House of Flavour, set to open on Darlington's Duke Street

House of Flavour is located next door to Asem Turkish Barbers, and sells “streetfood-inspired food” including; bao buns, pizza, and skin-on fries.

Katie Miller and David Chadwick are running the business and they couldn’t believe how popular the café was proving to be.

David said: “It’s been non-stop and we’ve had people from other local businesses supporting us too.

“Coffees have been really popular, and frappshakes, skin-on fries and burgers.

“We really didn’t expect it to be this busy so it’s amazing.”

The Northern Echo: Dave the dog brought in the customers. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestDave the dog brought in the customers. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)

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Dave, the staffie-cross who was sitting peacefully in his crate was the real star of the show though.

Owned by a member of staff, Dave had a fan club of mainly students by the time we left.

It’s the perfect location for caffeine-fuelled students with Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College (QE) a stone’s throw away.

Never having worked in hospitality before, Katie and David have stepped into a challenge and believe they found a gap in the market when it comes to finding a good place to sit and have a coffee on a Sunday morning.

The Northern Echo: Katie Miller, David Chadwick, and Dave the dog from House of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestKatie Miller, David Chadwick, and Dave the dog from House of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)

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David continued: “I noticed that in the town centre there’s not really any independent cafes open early on a Sunday, it’s usually 9:30am/10am and so we’re open from 8am.”

Katie said: “We wanted to open somewhere with a good variety of food. We’ve got quorn on our menu as well so we’re catering to different diets.”

The Northern Echo: House of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestHouse of Flavour in Darlington. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)

The Northern Echo: The interior of House of Flavour has minimalist decor. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestThe interior of House of Flavour has minimalist decor. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)

The Northern Echo: The business is dog-friendly so customers can bring their furry friends along. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, NewsquestThe business is dog-friendly so customers can bring their furry friends along. Picture: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest (Image: Sarah Caldecott, Newsquest)