While dog owners enjoy beer, coffee and trivia nights indoors, their frisky pooches will frolic in an outdoor play pen.
That’s the concept behind the Barkside dog park and beer garden, which is slated to open in Detroit’s West Village neighborhood at 7960 Kercheval Ave. late this summer.
David Oh, on of the co-owners poised to introduce the concept to the city, said he and his business partner Cody Williams anticipate a grand opening in late August or early September.
“It’s been exciting. My business partner Cody and I, we started this business really because we love dogs,” Oh told What Now Detroit.
It’s the first dog park in Detroit that merges happy hour with an off-leash canine playground. Long before Oh and Williams became the new business’ owners, they were loving dog owners.
Oh visited dog parks with his four-legged fur baby five days a week before pandemic lockdowns shut many of them down in 2020. Those months away gave him and Williams time to reflect.
“I always felt like there was a way to enhance the traditional dog park,” Oh said. “I felt like there should have been more options, more benefits for humans. And that’s really why Cody and I wanted to start the first one in Detroit.”
In addition to a mud-free outdoor park, Barkside will feature an indoor play area for the pets. There will also be a covered heated patio along with a lobby and bar area inside that serves locally produced beers, craft wine, coffee and mocktails.
The grounds will be patrolled by a team of “rufferees,” trained staff members savvy enough to read the dogs’ body language and de-escalate any situations that arise.
“I think the staff is really what sets us apart from your traditional dog park,” Oh said. “Honestly, I would almost argue that it’s safer than a classical dog park because…our intention is to staff really seasoned folks who can monitor dogs’ behaviors. And obviously, this is a beer garden so you want to make sure humans are also having a safe, fun time too.”
According to MLive, the indoor area will encompass 3,000 square feet while the outer green space spans 7,000 sq. ft. with seating for over 100 people.
Oh anticipated the dog park-beer garden will open six days a week to start, with one full day dedicated to deep cleaning and sanitizing at the facility.
Each night the park is open, Oh and Williams plan to host special after-work events like dog yoga, puppy training along with traditional bar room pastimes like trivia night.
“We always encourage folks, even if you don’t have a dog, come visit Barkside. There’s plenty of dogs there and you’ll get your dose of therapy,” Oh said.
