When Aisha Byrd bought Benjamin a birthday cake, she expected a celebration. What followed was a hospitalization. Benjamin became seriously ill shortly after eating the commercial treat, and an emergency vet visit revealed he had pancreatitis and a wheat allergy. “It was the most expensive birthday cake I’d ever bought,” Byrd said later.
That episode turned into a purpose. Byrd began baking her own dog treats from scratch, sourcing wholesome ingredients and eliminating the fillers, added sugars, fats, and allergens that had harmed Benjamin. Those kitchen experiments initially circulated among family and friends. Over time, though, Byrd recognized that many dog owners around her were facing the same challenges: pets with food sensitivities, limited information on commercial treat labels, and few allergy-aware options on store shelves. In January 2018, she brought her recipes to a craft fair in Bedford, Texas, officially launching R&B Dog Bakery.
The “R&B” was never about music. It stood for Reese and Benjamin, the two dogs whose needs had shaped everything from the founding philosophy to the name above the door.
A Brick-and-Mortar Business Takes Shape
After building a customer base across Dallas-Fort Worth farmers markets and craft fairs, Byrd opened R&B Dog Bakery’s first physical retail location in Arlington, Texas, in 2021. In February 2026, she closed that store and relocated to a larger, purpose-built space inside the Geyer Commons retail district in Mansfield, Texas.
The Mansfield store is designed as a destination rather than a transaction point. It features a Chew Bar stocked with natural chews, a custom photo wall for families celebrating their pets, and a Doggy Soft Serve Fro-Yo Bar, which the company describes as the area’s first frozen treat station of its kind. Writing about the bakery in July 2026, Pet Food Processing noted that Byrd views celebratory products as tools for community-building, something she says has driven her approach since the earliest farmers market days.
The product shop covers both everyday nutrition and special occasions. Custom cakes come in peanut butter, apple, and carrot varieties, with frostings formulated without added sugar or salt. The broader range includes R&B Barkcuterie Boxes, training treats, doggy macarons, freeze-dried meal toppers, and tiered birthday packages for individual pets and group celebrations alike. In developing her treat recipes, Byrd researched Association of American Feed Control Officials guidelines, according to Pet Food Processing. Baked treats are produced in an off-site commercial kitchen; freeze-dried toppers are made through a third-party contract manufacturer.
Byrd’s four dogs, Nacho, Trixie, Dorito, and Cocoa, serve as the in-house testing team. Free samples are also offered to in-store customers for additional feedback.
Beyond the Mansfield location, products are available through the company’s website, via Walmart Marketplace, and at a selection of area Chick-fil-A restaurants. A distribution agreement with Omni Hotels, to carry R&B treats in hotel gift shops, is in development, Byrd says. The bakery is a Go Texan-certified member of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s promotional program.
Mission Beyond the Treats
Byrd is also the founder of Paws 4 A Cause Pet Food Pantry, a nonprofit that provides pet food and supplies to families facing financial hardship across the Arlington and greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. R&B Dog Bakery donates two percent of its profits to the pantry, a commitment printed directly on the brand’s retail packaging. The pantry reflects a conviction Byrd has expressed consistently: that families in need should not face a choice between their own meals and their pets’ food.
The bakery’s services section connects customers with a vetted local network covering dog training, grooming, boarding, veterinary care, and pet loss counseling, extending the brand’s role well beyond treat sales.
Scaling Toward a Wider Market
The past year has been a deliberate push toward national reach. In 2025, Byrd completed the Walmart Retail Readiness Entrepreneurship Program, a process that helped reframe R&B Dog Bakery’s identity from a local specialty bakery into a scalable consumer packaged goods brand. The shift shows in the updated matte printed retail pouches that have replaced earlier eco-friendly paper bags, with the new packaging leading with the company’s origin story and its ingredient transparency.
She is currently completing the Intuit IDEAS program (Invest, Develop, Empower, Accelerate, and Scale), a business accelerator providing small business owners with coaching and grant funding. She is also a member of the third cohort of the Black Pet Business Network’s Retail Inclusion and Success for Entrepreneurs program, known as R.I.S.E., which supports Black-owned businesses in building the relationships and visibility needed to compete in the national pet industry.
In August 2026, Byrd is set to present at SUPERZOO, the pet retail industry’s major annual trade show, as part of the R.I.S.E. cohort’s Next Wave Pitch Competition. Looking further ahead, the company is exploring a mobile pet treat truck for deployment at birthday parties, dog parks, and community events, and is considering additional retail placements including gift shops at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.
More about the brand’s founding story and mission can be found on the R&B Dog Bakery About page.
