BALTIMORE (WMAR) — Think dog park meets beer garden meets coffee shop... and it’s coming to Baltimore by the end of the year.
"Dogs run the show and basically this is a dog lovers paradise," said Bark Social co-founder Luke Silverman.
Inspired by their pups, Silverman and his partner wanted to create a place in Baltimore for the dogs to be social while they could too.
"It [Baltimore]'s actually voted one of the least pet-friendly which kind of shocks everybody. It’s not that we don’t love our pets as Baltimore citizens. It’s just the options are relatively limited within the city," said Silverman.
And so Bark Social was born. Baltimore was supposed to be the home for the first location, but plans fell threw and they opened in North Bethesda earlier this year.
Now with a spot in Baltimore secured, plans are underway to transform the vacant lot next to sprouts into the second location, with the hope of opening in December.
"This third is gonna be a large covered patio, with misters, heaters, outdoor TVs," said Luke Silverman, as he pointed to the middle of a vacant lot off Boston Street in Canton.
Along with a patio, Bark Social will have a self-serve beer wall, coffee shop and dog park with astro turf.
There is a big emphasis on local. They already work with a lot of Baltimore businesses for dog treats, merchandise and design, a local business Dogs of Charm City will have retail on site.
"We love the area. We love the city. We wanna highlight the regional aspect of it but also the national aspect. We are proud to be a Baltimore-based company," said Silverman.
They have partnered with Dogs of Charm City to create a ‘give back’ shirt where $4 from each sale will go to BARCS, the largest animal shelter in the city.
"We are so unbelievably excited for Bark Social Baltimore to open. Bark Social aligns with our mission to create a community for dogs and their owners that promotes connection among dog lovers, supports other local businesses, and is down-right fun. From working remotely with your dog during the day to grabbing drinks with friends at night, Bark Social has created an environment for humans and their dogs to enjoy life together here in Baltimore," said Lyndsay Shackelford, owner and founder of Dogs of Charm City.
