Exactly one month after its grand opening, Scoop Dog Café had its official ribbon cutting last Thursday. The ceremony featured members of Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, fresh ice cream and an ensemble of interesting hotdogs on the café’s menu.

The café, formerly known as “Studio 24 Scoops,” first opened in 2011. The restaurant’s recent change from ice cream parlor to café will hopefully make the space more appealing to young adults from Rowan University’s campus, said Cecily DeMarco. DeMarco is a business partner at Scoop Dog Cafe and the director of marketing and public relations.

“We were getting word that Rowan students were coming back really looking for more of an opportunity here within the developing area,” DeMarco said. “We were thinking what can we do to attract Rowan students and not just have a seasonal ice cream parlor, but really what can we do to improve this prime location?”

According to Scoop Dog’s owner Al Bartolomeo, the parlor was originally geared toward serving the people coming from the dance studio located above Scoops at 111 E High Street.

“Scoop’s original intention was to be an amenity to the building,” Bartolomeo said. “With a large student body [at Rowan] we felt that this would be appropriate to treat it as a destination. My goal was to keep the parcel but make it more collegian like.”

Several signature hot dogs are available for customers in the café including some specifically themed for college students. One such example is the Hangover Dog, which consists of a hot dog wrapped in scrambled eggs and topped with bacon and cheddar cheese.

“They’re gourmet hotdogs,” DeMarco said, “So certified angus beef, no MSG, none of the bad stuff for you, so to speak.”

DeMarco is also a sophomore food marketing major at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

She mentioned that between the opening of Scoop Dog and the ribbon cutting, the hot dog buns went through 10 different changes. The buns currently being used are from Liscio’s Bakery in Glassboro.

She also said that the reason that the café waited one month to have its ribbon cutting after its opening was to optimize the business.

“Starting today, it’s going to be the best,” DeMarco said.

Bartolomeo also said that he believes Scoop Dog can be an opportunity for people in the community as well as students.

“I’ve been apart of this community for the last ten, fifteen years,” Bartolomeo said. “For me I’m blessed to have so many things going on I my life that I wanted to bring in a sophomore in college with aspirations and monumental dreams, and give her an opportunity to see what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. I know as I’m on the back nine of my round of golf, at sixty-years-old.

“This is about being unselfish and just paying forward. It’s about paying your fortune forward. Give somebody who want’s a chance a chance and watch them flourish.”

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