The Black Dog: The story behind the beloved company (2024)

BELOVED FAMILY PET. SUMMER ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD IS A MAGICAL TIME. YOUR BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR? DEFINITELY SUMMER. YOU KNOW, IT’S COMING UP. THIS IS KIND OF THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM RIGHT NOW, AND A BUSINESS WITH A SIMPLE LOGO IS PART OF THAT MAGIC. IT DOESN’T GET MUCH MORE SIMPLE THAN THAT, BUT IT’S WORKED AND PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT. THE STORY OF THE BLACK DOG BUSINESS BEGAN WHEN CAPTAIN ROBERT DOUGLAS OPENED THE DOORS TO WHAT WOULD BECOME A BELOVED ISLAND INSTITUTION, BUT WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM? WELL, A DOG NAMED BLACK DOG, OF COURSE. IT WAS MY PET AS A FAMILY GROWING UP WITH MY BROTHERS AND MY FAMILY, AND TO SEE IT GROW AND TO SEE IT EXPAND FROM THE ISLAND OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD TO COASTAL COMMUNITIES UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A SURPRISE FOR US, AND IT’S AN AMAZING THING TO WATCH. THE TAVERN, THE BUSINESS THAT STARTED IT ALL, QUICKLY BECAME A GATHERING PLACE FOR LOCALS AND VISITORS, DRAWN BY ITS FLAVORFUL FARE AND CONTINUED WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE. IT’S ALWAYS ON OUR LIST OF PLACES TO GO TO WHEN YOU’RE ON THE VINEYARD CLAM CHOWDER PLACE FOR LUNCH. YEP, CLAM CHOWDER IS EXCELLENT. CAPTAIN DOUGLAS’S SON, ROBERT DOUGLAS JR, CONTINUES TO HAVE A CLOSE TIE TO THE BUSINESS. SO I’VE WALKED ALONG HERE MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THIS CANNON? MY DAD FOUND THIS GUN UP OUTSIDE OF BOSTON IN A SALVAGE YARD IN 1970. HE WANTED THE GUN. THE GUY WOULDN’T SELL IT. HE SAID, IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, LET US KNOW. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, THE PHONE RANG AND SAYS, HEY, I’LL BRING YOU THE GUN. BUT THE ONLY TRUCK THAT CAN CARRY IT ALREADY HAS THIS SOUTHERN LONGLEAF YELLOW PINE ON IT. SO YOU GOT TO BUY THE WOOD TO. THEY DROPPED THE CANNON WHERE IT IS TODAY. IT HAS NEVER MOVED. AND THEY DROPPED THE LUMBER AND THE LUMBER BECAME THE ACTUAL BLACK DOG TAVERN. IN 1971, THE TAVERN OPENED ITS DOORS, A RESTAURANT, A BAKERY. YOU TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY’RE LIKE, I CAN’T GO ON VACATION WITHOUT SEEING SOMEBODY IN THAT SHIRT. NOW WHAT ABOUT A CLOTHING BRAND? THEY EXPAND IT TO RETAIL BECAUSE THE COOKS STARTED TO WEAR A UNIFORM. SO WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY TOOK THE SILHOUETTE OF THE BLACK DOG. THE SIGN BEHIND ME IS ACTUALLY A 3D SCULPTURE OF THE OF THE DOG. THEY PUT THAT ON A TWO DIMENSIONAL PRINT ON THE T SHIRT, AND THE COOKS STARTED TO WEAR IT WELL. VERY SOON THEREAFTER, CUSTOMERS STARTED TO REQUEST THE COOKS TO SELL THEM THE T SHIRT, AND IT WAS KIND OF A NATURAL ORGANIC CHANNEL. CEO AND PRESIDENT DAN PEZZULLO TOOK US INSIDE THE ORIGINAL BLACK DOG CLOTHING STORE IN VINEYARD HAVEN, 350FT. WOW. THIS IS TEENY TEENY, AND IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY THING. SO MOST PEOPLE DON’T SEE BACK HERE FROM THE FRONT. WE JUST SEE THE BLACK DOG GENERAL STORE OR THE BAKERY. RIGHT. SO YOU HAD THE BAKERY THERE OR THE TAVERN FROM THE WATER, WHICH WE’RE BEHIND NOW. AND THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE BLACK DOG CAMPUS. WE CALL IT BD CAMPUS. THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO EXPAND FAR BEYOND THE VINEYARD. IT WAS REALLY LIKE, HEY, LET’S SEE IF WE CAN DO BUSINESS IN ANOTHER TOWN. AND OUR FIRST BIG EXPANSION THAT MADE US REALLY NERVOUS WAS OAK BLUFFS. WE TRIED FALMOUTH AND P-TOWN ON THE SAME YEAR, AND THAT’S WHAT REALLY KIND OF GAVE US THE CONFIDENCE TO TRY TO MATCH, LIKE SEASIDE COMMUNITIES WITH WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT THE ISLAND AND WHAT WORKED. THE RETAIL STORES ARE NOW IN COASTAL TOWNS FROM MAINE TO SARASOTA, FLORIDA. ALTHOUGH THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN, PEZZULLO SAYS ONE THING NEVER CHANGES. WHEN THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER COME TO A CLOSE, THE LIGHTS AT THE BLACK DOG TAVERN NEVER DIM. IN SOME WAYS, IT’S A LOVE STORY. A MAN AND HIS DOG. YEAH, THAT’S HOW IT STARTED. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU KNOW, IN IN THE YEAR ROUND PIECE OF IT IS WHAT KIND OF I THINK KEEPS US GOING HERE ON THE ISLAND, BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT OPEN AND CLOSE. YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO HAVE THAT LIGHT ON. THAT’S STILL KIND OF AN ODE TO CAPTAIN BOB AND BEING TRY TO BE THE YEAR ROUND BUSINESS FOR US. BEFORE STARTING THE BLACK DOG, THE TAVERN CAPTAIN ROBERT DOUGLAS TRAVELED AROUND WITH BLACK DOG, THE ACTUAL DOG ON HIS TALL SHIP, THE SHENANDOAH. THEY VISITED COASTAL COMMUNITIES, MANY OF WHICH BECAME LOCATIONS FOR CURRENT BLACK DOG STORES. ALL OF THE BLACK DOG FOOD LOCATIONS ARE ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD, EXCEPT FOR ONE. THERE IS A COFFEE SHOP IN FALM