Meet ‘Everybody’s Friend’ Migo: Bill Pickle’s New Furry Bouncer

Who said State College bouncers weren’t friendly?

Recent patrons of Bill Pickle’s Taproom may have noticed a new, furry face greeting them when they walk through the door. This friendly pup has quickly become a town favorite and gained a reputation for being the best “head doorpup” in Happy Valley.

Meet Migo, short for “Amigo.” He’s a Fluffy Frenchie, a rare type of French Bulldog with particularly long fur caused by a recessive gene. Migo is only about six months old but is already making himself at home with his new owner Brittany Mele, the general manager at Pickle’s.

“We got really lucky because the breeder said that somebody was supposed to come pick him up, but they no-call, no-showed,” Mele said. “He was not supposed to be free, but he was free. That was about a month ago.”

It didn’t take long for Migo to become a hit at Pickle’s. Mele said everyone was immediately obsessed with the taproom’s new furry friend.

“It was obnoxious in a good way. It was almost overwhelming because he was the smallest, cutest, little fluffy baby boy. A lot of people say that they’ve never seen a dog like him before,” Mele said.

Since most people aren’t familiar with the Fluffy Frenchie breed, folks were instantly in awe of the pup as he collected compliments like “adorable little gremlin.”

However, Migo isn’t a freeloader who only hangs around for the love and attention (although those are two of his favorite things). He puts in the work as one of Pickle’s bouncers, among other jobs around the pub. In fact, he’s already been promoted to “head doorpup.”

“He cleans up the floors, that’s a big one. He’s our number one greeter, so when people walk through the door, he’s got to be greeting them,” Mele said. “He knows how to kick out the rowdy ones, he barks them right out of the bar.”

After a month of working at Pickle’s, Migo has gotten pretty familiar with the staff and the menu. His favorite menu item is the smoked brisket, although as part of his duty as a floor cleaner, he’ll eat pretty much any crumb or piece of smoked meat that hits the floor.

Pickle’s is known for its themed nights like Country Night on Tuesdays and Trivia Night on Wednesdays. What’s Migo’s favorite night to be at Pickle’s, though? Whichever night the most food gets dropped on the floor.

While Mele couldn’t decide what Migo’s signature cocktail would be if he had one on the menu, she knew it would include tequila and whipped cream.

In addition to his new mom, he’s also taken a liking to the rest of the staff, especially bouncers Nick and Jack, who take him on walks and hang out with him so much that some customers think he’s their dog. It makes sense that he would be friendly with his fellow bouncers.

Migo hangs around Pickle’s most days. He’s become so popular that some patrons will stop in just to say hi to the pub’s newest employee, bringing him treats and gifts just because they know he’s there.

“He’s just a ball of energy and love. Sometimes he wants attention and sometimes he wants to sleep. He’s really the epitome of his name, Amigo,” Mele said. “He just wants to say hi to everyone and be loved by everybody. He loves everyone, he’s a super social little puppy.”