Dining with your dog could become even more popular if lawmakers in Albany have their way.Many dog owners already bring their furry friends with them when they stop at Park Ave. restaurants in Rochester. In fact, area business owners say it’s pretty common to serve patrons and their pup on the patio during the warm weather.

New York legislators introduced a bill in May to allow dogs on restaurant patios and outdoor seating across the state. Among other things, the bill would require restaurants to have a separate entrance for those who want to dine with the dogs.

There are some specifications to the law that are meant to keep restaurant staff and other New Yorkers safe. Dogs must be kept on leashes, and restaurant workers would be prohibited from playing with their canine guests.

Jeremy Bittle, assistant manager of Dorado on Park Ave., said that the law could be good for business because area dog owners stop by the restaurant frequently.

“They’re walking their dog,” Bittle said. “They want to stop and eat. It’d be very inconvenient for a lot of people on Park Avenue if they couldn’t dine on their way of doing that.”

Dog owners bringing their pets along while eating in public shouldn’t be cause for concern. Research shows that most dog owners (59%) own just one pup, meaning that other diners shouldn’t have to deal with a menagerie of mutts on the sidewalk.

But dogs and their owners aren’t always welcome at local businesses. Last September, the Starbucks at Twelve Corners in Brighton made national news when an employee denied a woman her cup of joe because she’d brought her service dog into the cafe.

Twenty-four-year-old Amy Kaplan brought her Malamute, Zero, into the coffee shop with her, only to be told to leave. But she didn’t until filming the interaction with a barista and uploading the video to YouTube.

That incident violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which allows individuals to bring service dogs inside businesses with them. A spokesperson for Starbucks also reached out to Kaplan to apologize for the actions of one lone worker, which she said did not reflect the chain’s policy on service animals.

So far California is thought to be the only state that allows owners to bring their dogs with them when they dine out on restaurant patios.