LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - It may seem like an odd idea, bringing along your dogs to the local bar, but with a hopeful bar startup, you could be enjoying a beer alongside man’s best friend.
“People could come bring their dogs, have a drink, watch a game, and there’s nothing like it,” said Bark Bar Founder, Cara Fowler.
‘Bark Bar’ is an idea from a couple dog owners who wanted to enjoy a drink with their dogs. So, they're working on a project to open up a dog-friendly bar in Little Rock. It would be the first of its kind in Arkansas.
Fowler came up with the idea when visiting a similar establishment in Texas. She started working with a friend who liked the idea, Elizabeth Michael. Your ‘bark-tenders’ will serve drinks and food while your furry friends can roam around off-leash, inside and outside.
“I began thinking that this would be so perfect for Little Rock considering what’s going on with the downtown revitalization, the Main Street corridor,” said Fowler.
“We really needed a place like this that people could come bring their dogs, watch a game,” said Day.
The idea has come with a lengthy process. Currently they’re working with the state's health department who said the idea has a strong shot at getting approved. Once the health department approves the plan, the Alcohol Beverage Control Board will have to give approval. The director told THV11 currently there are no regulations that have to do with dogs, so he said it should pass with ABC.
“We know it’s a little bit of organized chaos and we welcome that,” said Fowler.
Each dog that enters will check-in with up-to-date shot records and pay a membership fee. Those can be purchased for $5 for a single day, $20 for a month, and $150 for a year.
If everything goes as planned, ‘Bark Bar’ will be serving people and their dogs by Spring 2017