Bar K dog bar closes all locations, calling out KC riverfront construction, rising inflation

Owners of the award-winning Bar K dog bar — a popular destination for four-legged Kansas Citians and their friends — announced its closure Tuesday, after nearly a decade in business that saw the concept expand to St. Louis and Oklahoma City before suddenly shuttering all operations.

“We are heartbroken to announce that Bar K will be closing permanently, effective immediately,” a statement posted to the Bar K website read. “We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to create this joyful space where our community has been able to celebrate and share our special connection with our best friends.”

Startland News reached out to co-founders David Hensley and Leib Dodell, who launched Bar K in 2016 and opened the Berkeley Park location in 2018. The company began expanding to new cities in 2021, starting with St. Louis.

Social media accounts for Bar K had been deactivated Tuesday morning, leaving only the public message on its website.

Play areas outside Bar K dog bar after opening in 2018; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Bar K was honored in 2024 as one of USA Today’s best dog bars in the nation. It also posted a funding round in summer 2024 (financial details were not disclosed), alongside the hiring of Tim Schoenfelder as CEO. (Schoenfelder appeared to have left Bar K in late 2024.)

ICYMI: Nation’s best dog bar planning new tricks in KC after fetching top award, summer funding round

The Berkeley Park location closed temporarily in early July, with owners citing nearby construction related to ongoing developments along Kansas City’s surging riverfront district.

“As is often the case, there isn’t one single cause, but rather a variety of challenges that ultimately proved too difficult for our start-up business to overcome,” the message from Bar K read. “Among many other factors, we faced the same severe economic challenges as the rest of the hospitality industry, including inflationary costs and expenses, an extremely difficult labor market, and sharply reduced consumer spending.”

“On top of this, each of our locations had its own challenges — particularly in Kansas City, which became extremely isolated by massive construction projects that made access difficult at best and consumed much of its parking.”

RELATED: Massive riverfront development expected to anchor KC as a destination for prosperity

Bar K dog bar, July 2024; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The co-founders had sought to boost the two-acre Berkeley Park location while also scaling into new markets.

“We’re trying to elevate the Bar K experience in every way we can,” Hensley told Startland News in July 2024, specifying enhancements to the location’s bar, food and beverage programs, the park experience, and its memberships. “We’re tackling all of those elements right now.”

“This isn’t just a trend,” he continued, describing the innovative business’ model. “It’s actually the future where people do see dogs as family members. And that’s the whole idea of Bar K; really celebrating that special bond that we have with our dogs.”

Bar K’s closing message included an emphasis on those who “worked incredibly hard and took enormous risks to create Bar K and keep our doors open as long as possible.”

“What hurts the most is knowing that the dogs will not understand why they can no longer visit their favorite place on earth,” the message read. “Please hug them for us — we know that you will continue to give them all your love and support so they can continue to live their very best lives. We will miss them terribly.”